Chordal Papillary Fibroelastoma of the Mitral Valve: A Dramatic Presentation of a Tiny Mass

Abstract

Papillary fibroelastoma (PFE) is a rare benign endocardial tumor, primarily affecting the cardiac valves. It predominantly affects the aortic valve followed by the mitral valve. It can be silent on presentation or can present with complications like devastating systemic embolization, myocardial infarction, and death. We describe a rare case of a young man hospitalized for the investigation of cerebrovascular events. On transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), a PFE was identified and resected successfully through a minimally invasive surgery. Our case illustrates that the possibility of embolization from a small cardiac tumor as an independent factor for planning the surgical resection.