title: Inferior vena cava obstruction by a cardiac mass: unusual presentation of primary antiphospholipid syndrome.
abstract: We present a previously healthy 43-year-old woman with a cardiac mass that caused almost total occlusion of the inferior vena cava at its junction with the right atrium. The resected mass proved to be a thrombus. Preoperative imaging tests could not distinguish it from other intracardiac tumors such as myxoma. A postoperative immunological study revealed a primary antiphospholipid syndrome. This case presents an unusual diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome and a rare location of a cardiac thrombus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain. eduardpermanyer@gmail.com
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Permanyer
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Alegret
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Guijosa
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Padró
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior