title: Anomalously placed papillary muscle masquerading as a left ventricular apical mass.
abstract: A 63-year-old man was seen with a history of nonfluent dysphasia and headaches. His blood tested positive for anticardiolipin antibodies. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a mass in the left ventricular apex. The transgastric five-chamber view identified this mass as an anomalously placed papillary muscle. In the presence of an apical mass, if the transthoracic echocardiogram is equivocal, a transesophageal echocardiogram, using the transgastric five-chamber view may be helpful in making the correct diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver Hospital, Canada.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Almahmeed
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beckman
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jue
mesh_terms: D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010210:Papillary Muscles / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging