title: Surgical treatment of a calcified, amorphous tumor of the right ventricle complicated with thrombosis of the right pulmonary artery in an adult male: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A calcified amorphous tumor of the heart is an extremely rare cardiac mass.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 32-year-old Albanian man presented to our hospital with fatigue, shortness of breath, progressive dyspnea, and right congestive heart failure. Echocardiography and chest computed tomography revealed a giant, calcified right ventricular mass that originated between the papillary muscles and the trabeculae and extended to the pulmonary valve. The patient underwent surgery with excision of the mass, replacement of the pulmonary valve with a biological one, and repair of the tricuspid valve. His histopathological examination revealed that the mass was a calcified, amorphous tumor. His postoperative course was uneventful.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical presentation of the calcified amorphous tumor is similar to that of other cardiac tumors, so surgical excision is mandatory. Histopathological examination remains the gold standard for an accurate diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Center, Tirane, Albania. ninakajo@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Efrosina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kajo
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Center, Tirane, Albania.
authors.forename: Edvin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Prifti
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Center, Tirane, Albania.
authors.forename: Aurora
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knuti
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Center, Tirane, Albania.
authors.forename: Arben
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baboci
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Center, Tirane, Albania.
authors.forename: Merita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: Calcification; Cardiac tumor; Pulmonary emboli; Tricuspid and pulmonary valves