Key result
Conservative management of a cardiac lipoma of the interventricular septum resulted in the patient remaining asymptomatic with unchanged tumour characteristics over a 4-year follow-up period.
Case Report (n=1)
No
This case report demonstrates that small, asymptomatic cardiac lipomas can be safely managed with a vigilant non-invasive approach.
May support conservative follow-up in select asymptomatic cases; leaves open need for larger prospective studies.
Cardiac lipomas are rare benign primary neoplasms of the heart, usually found incidentally, that can become symptomatic depending on their size and location. We report the case of a 61-year-old man presenting with chest pain and elevated troponin and a normal EKG and D-dimers. A transthoracic echocardiogram revealed an intracardiac mass attached to the interventricular septum protruding to the left ventricle, later confirmed to be a lipomatous mass consistent with a cardiac lipoma on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Due to the mass characteristics and favourable evolution, it was decided not to excise the tumour, and the patient remains asymptomatic after a 4-year follow-up period. LEARNING POINTS: Cardiac lipomas are rare benign tumours, usually found incidentally, although they can cause a wide array of symptoms depending on their size and location.Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is the most accurate diagnostic method to characterize lipomatous cardiac masses and to distinguish lipomas from liposarcomas.Surgical excision is the mainstay of the treatment when feasible, although small asymptomatic lipomas can be managed with a vigilant non-invasive approach.
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Alves et al. (2020) conducted a case report in Cardiac lipoma of the interventricular septum (n=1). Conservative management was evaluated on Symptom recurrence and tumour progression. Conservative management of a cardiac lipoma of the interventricular septum resulted in the patient remaining asymptomatic with unchanged tumour characteristics over a 4-year follow-up period.
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