Right atrial spleen.
A large cardiac tumour occupying most of the right atrium and the right ventricle and causing inflow obstruction to the right heart was confirmed by cross sectional echocardiography in a 41 year old man. After surgical resection histological examination showed that the atrial tumour had the characteristics of splenic tissue. Possible mechanisms for the development of such a tumour include an origin analogous to that of an accessory spleen or the implantation and subsequent growth of lymphoid tissue in a pre-existing superior vena caval or high right atrial angioma.
D000328:Adult; D002828:Choristoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004452:Echocardiography; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013154:Spleen