HAMARTOMA OF THE MITRAL-VALVE WITH BLOOD CYSTS - A RARE TUMOR-DETECTED BY ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY

A 16-year-old boy was submitted to a cardiac examination after an epis ode of faintness. A transthoracic echocardiogram was performed, which revealed a very mobile multicystic tumor attached to the mitral valve. A small solid mass adherent to the cysts was better defined by transe sophageal echocardiography. The patient was submitted to cardiac surge ry consisting of tumor resection and a mitral prosthesis implant. The surgery was successful. The tumor consisted of three bright red tense cysts with hematic content, each 1 to 2 cm in diameter. The cysts were coalescent and adherent to solid mass attached to the posterior papil lary muscle head. Histopathologic examination revealed a hamartoma wit h a cystic part composed of the proliferation of myofibroblast cells i n a stroma with vessels, collagen, and elastin fibers. Valvular hamart oma with blood cysts is a very rare cardiac tumor both for its histopa thology and its localization.