RIGHT ATRIAL MASSES – A SERIES OF THREE CASES

Cardiac masses are rare, and they pose an interesting diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The differentials vary from tumours – both primary and secondary, thrombus, infective vegetations, artifacts to cysts. They can present with obstructive symptoms, embolisation, constitutional symptoms or pericardial effusions. Multimodality imaging with echocardiogram, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) help in diagnosis. Complete surgical resection is often the modality of choice in cases of tumours. Thrombolysis or surgical extraction is suitable in cases of thrombus in the right heart.

Chasing Complications of Balloon Mitral Valvotomy.

Percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy (BMV) done for mitral stenosis (MS) though largely improved nowadays can be followed by multiple and rare procedure related complications. We present an interesting case of a 45 year old male with symptomatic severe mitral stenosis of rheumatic origin. Ultimately, though he underwent a successful BMV it was ridden with multiple rare procedure related complications. Intra procedural perforation of left atrium with hemopericardium and pericardial tamponade occurred in the first attempt at BMV while rupture of BMV balloon, multiple clots in left atrium (LA) after the procedure and a large pericardial effusion occurred in the second albeit successful attempt. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case to report multiple LA clots post BMV.