title: Intracardiac mass as initial cardiac manifestation of Behçet's disease: think before you cut.
abstract: Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic multisystemic inflammatory disorder. Cardiac abnormalities including intracardiac thrombi have been described in up to 16% of cases. The clinical presentation of cardiac complications in BD may include fever, dyspnea, chest pain, hemoptysis, and edema. We present 2 cases of patients who underwent surgical excision of intracardiac masses thought to be intracardiac malignancies. Further pathological and clinical evaluation established intracardiac inflammatory masses due to BD as the final diagnosis. As intracardiac masses may be the presenting manifestation of BD, it is crucial for echocardiographers to consider BD in the differential diagnosis. A careful history and physical exam looking for signs and symptoms of BD is critical before considering surgical excision of unexplained intracardiac masses. If the final diagnosis is BD anti-inflammatory therapy should be considered the basis of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leibowitz
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korem
authors.forename: Dan M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Livovsky
authors.forename: Hagit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peleg
authors.forename: Tova
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chajek-Shaul
authors.forename: Nurith
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hiller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Behçet's disease; echocardiography; intracardiac thrombus