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Guess the Mass!
CASEOUS MITRAL ANNULAR calcification (CMAC) is an uncommon variant of mitral annular calcification. This case demonstrates the need for a high level of clinical suspicion in order to correctly diagnose CMAC, as it could be easily mistaken for an atrial tumor, an abscess, or a vegetation. Making the correct diagnosis of CMAC can facilitate the implementation of appropriate treatment strategies, which could potentially reduce cerebral vascular accidents. Additionally, the use of multimodal imaging in characterizing such intracardiac masses is essential.Residual Left Atrial Mass After Myxoma Resection
A 68-YEAR-OLD WOMAN was admitted to the authors’ institution complaining of shortness of breath and chest pain. Her workup demonstrated a large (5 cm×5 cm) atrial mass by transthoracic echocardiography. She subsequently was scheduled for resection. On the day of surgery, transesophageal echocardiography confirmed the presence of this large, pedunculated left atrial mass, which originated from the interatrial septum just proximal to the orifice of the right superior pulmonary vein. Its visual appearance resembled that of a myxoma.
