title: Mesothelial/monocytic incidental cardiac excrescences (cardiac MICE) associated with acute aortic dissection: a study of two cases.
abstract: Acute aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition mainly caused by hypertension, atherosclerotic disease and other degenerative diseases of the connective tissue of the aortic wall. Mesothelial/monocytic incidental cardiac excrescences (cardiac MICE) is a rare benign reactive tumor-like lesion composed of admixture of histiocytes, mesothelial cells, and inflammatory cells set within a fibrinous meshwork without a vascular network or supporting stroma. Cardiac MICE occurring in association with aortic dissection is exceptionally rare (only one such case reported to date). We herein report on the surgical repair of two Stanford type A aortic dissections caused by idiopathic giant cell aortitis in a 66-year-old-woman and by atherosclerotic disease in a 58-year-old-man, respectively. In both cases, the dissections could be visualized via computed tomography. Histopathology showed cardiac incidental MICE within the external aortic wall near the pericardial surface which was confirmed by immunohistochemistry.
authors.affiliation: Center of Cardiac Surgery, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Strecker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg Germany.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg Germany.
authors.forename: David Lukas
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Wachter
authors.affiliation: Center of Cardiac Surgery, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weyand
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg Germany.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agaimy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006644:Histiocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D011859:Radiography
keywords: MICE; Mesothelial/monocytic incidental cardiac excrescences; aortic dissection; aortitis; cardiac surgery