EVOLUTION OF A PAPILLARY FIBROELASTOMA

Papillary fibroelastoma is a rare primary tumor of the heart usually f ound incidentally at autopsy. Little is known about the natural histor y of this tumor, but an aggressive surgical approach is recommended be cause of the high incidence of embolization. We describe a patient who se tumor was found during transthoracic echocardiography and who had h ad a normal echo 10 years previously. This finding suggests that papil lary fibroelastoma may be an acquired rather than a congenital lesion.