title: Utility of cardiac CT and MRI for the diagnosis and preoperative assessment of cardiac paraganglioma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac paragangliomas are rare cardiac tumors that are usually benign. Surgical excision can be curative.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a case of 39-year-old male who, during the work up of acute coronary syndrome with coronary angiography, cardiac computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), was found to have cardiac paraganglioma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tumor was intrapericardial, arising at the level of proximal left anterior descending artery. The tumor was completely resected and the postoperative course was uneventful. At 3-months follow-up the patient was asymptomatic with normal ventricular function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cardiac CT and MRI are valuable in characterizing and preoperative planning of primary cardiac paragangliomas.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Trillium Health Center, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. abdullah.alghamdi@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Abdullah A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alghamdi
authors.forename: Tarang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sheth
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Manowski
authors.forename: Ofei F
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Djoleto
authors.forename: Gopal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bhatnagar
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D000328:Adult; D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010235:Paraganglioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed