Cardiac fibroma

A cardiac fibroma (also known as cardiac fibromatosis, fibrous hamartoma, or fibroelastic hamartoma) represents a collection of fibroblasts interspersed among large amounts of collagen (some authors believe that this tumour is a hamartoma rather than a neoplasm).

Epidemiology

Cardiac fibroma is a tumour that primarily affects children (most cases is detected in infants or in utero). They are the second most common benign primary cardiac tumour in children after cardiac rhabdomyoma and second commonest fetal cardiac tumour ².

Clinical presentation

Cardiac fibromas are often associated with arrhythmias which can be a presenting feature.

Pathology

Associations

There is an increased prevalence of cardiac fibromas in Gorlin syndrome.

Radiographic features

Unlike many primary cardiac tumours, fibromas usually have no foci of cystic change, hemorrhage, or necrosis.Cardiac fibromas almost always arise in the ventricles, most commonly in the ventricular septum and left ventricular free wall.They are usually large, with a mean diameter of about 5 cm and may obliterate the ventricular cavity.

CT

At CT, cardiac fibromas are homogeneous soft-tissue masses that may be either sharply marginated or infiltrative. Dystrophic calcification is common.

MRI

Because of their dense, fibrous nature, the tumors are usually homogeneous and hypointense on T2-weighted MR images and isointense relative to muscle on T1-weighted images.

Cardiac fibromas often demonstrate little or no contrast material enhancement.