title: A case of a fibroelastoma and patent foramen ovale in a patient with prior stroke.
abstract: We describe the case of a patient who underwent patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure for secondary stroke prevention. On routine follow-up transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), a papillary fibroelastoma was identified and removed successfully surgically. The fibroelastoma had not been recognized during preprocedural imaging and escaped our attention during limited intraprocedural transesophageal echocardiographic imaging (focusing on the interatrial septum) given the small size and visualization requiring thorough imaging in multiple planes and modified views. Our case illustrates the importance of detailed echocardiographic imaging prior to PFO device implantation; otherwise, subtle concomitant and at least equally probable causes of stroke can be overlooked.
authors.affiliation: 1 CardioVascular Center Frankfurt, Seckbacher Landstrasse 65, 60389 Frankfurt a.M., Germany ; 2 Klinik für Thorax-, Herz- und Gefäβchirurgie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany ; 3 Senckenbergisches Institut für Pathologie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vaskelyte
authors.affiliation: 1 CardioVascular Center Frankfurt, Seckbacher Landstrasse 65, 60389 Frankfurt a.M., Germany ; 2 Klinik für Thorax-, Herz- und Gefäβchirurgie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany ; 3 Senckenbergisches Institut für Pathologie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany.
authors.forename: Petar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Risteski
authors.affiliation: 1 CardioVascular Center Frankfurt, Seckbacher Landstrasse 65, 60389 Frankfurt a.M., Germany ; 2 Klinik für Thorax-, Herz- und Gefäβchirurgie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany ; 3 Senckenbergisches Institut für Pathologie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertog
authors.affiliation: 1 CardioVascular Center Frankfurt, Seckbacher Landstrasse 65, 60389 Frankfurt a.M., Germany ; 2 Klinik für Thorax-, Herz- und Gefäβchirurgie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany ; 3 Senckenbergisches Institut für Pathologie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany.
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.affiliation: 1 CardioVascular Center Frankfurt, Seckbacher Landstrasse 65, 60389 Frankfurt a.M., Germany ; 2 Klinik für Thorax-, Herz- und Gefäβchirurgie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany ; 3 Senckenbergisches Institut für Pathologie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.affiliation: 1 CardioVascular Center Frankfurt, Seckbacher Landstrasse 65, 60389 Frankfurt a.M., Germany ; 2 Klinik für Thorax-, Herz- und Gefäβchirurgie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany ; 3 Senckenbergisches Institut für Pathologie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany.
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sievert
keywords: Stroke; papillary fibroelastoma; patent foramen ovale (PFO)