INTRAMYOCARDIAL ANGIOMYOLIPOMA

We report a case of cardiac angiomyolipoma in a 48-year-old woman who went to the hospital because of shortness of breath. Cardiac ultrasonography showed a right atrial mass, which was surgically removed. Pathologic examination revealed a 6-cm-diameter, dome-shaped mass composed of a mixture of blood vessels, smooth muscle, and fat. Because of its distinctive morphology and location, we diagnosed it as an intramyocardial angiomyolipoma. There was no evidence of tuberous sclerosis. Since excision of the mass, the patient has remained well without recurrence for 20 months. Angiomyolipomas usually develop in the kidney; extrarenal occurrence is rare. To date, no case of a cardiac angiomyolipoma has been reported in the English literature. The histogenesis of angiomyolipoma is uncertain, but it is most likely hamartomatous in nature.