Intractable ventricular tachycardia in a patient with left ventricular epicardial lipoma.
Primary cardiac lipomas are rare and are often reported as incidental findings during operations or autopsies. Lipoma-induced arrhythmia, especially ventricular tachycardia (VT), is an unusual complication of primary cardiac lipoma. We describe the case of a 43-year-old woman who presented with VT without any cardiac abnormality except for a left ventricular tumor. Electrophysiologic study (EPS) failed to detect the origin of the arrhythmia, although VT could be induced by EPS preoperatively. Due to suspicion of a relationship between the tumor and the VT, wide tumor resection was performed using cardiopulmonary bypass support. The excised lipoma measured about 10 x 8 x 3 cm and weighed 120 g, and was without pathohistologic evidence of malignant change. The patient was well without further postoperative need for antiarrhythmic drugs at 36 months' follow-up, and VT was no longer inducible on subsequent EPS mappings.
Chen
H M
HM
Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Chiu
C C
CC
Lee
C S
CS
Lai
W D
WD
Lin
Y T
YT
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008067:Lipoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D010496:Pericardium; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000209:etiology*