Abstract 18126: A Rare Case of a Left Ventricular Papillary Fibroelastoma With an Initial Presentation of Unilateral Vision Loss

Abstract

A 59-year-old female with hypertension presented with acute onset of decreased vision in the right eye. She reported waking up 3 days prior to admission with sudden onset of shadow in the right eye appearing like a falling curtain which eventually progressed to total visual loss. She also complained of headaches and palpitations. The patient denied pain, nausea, vomiting, photophobia, changes in speech, aphasia, facial weakness, arm or leg weakness or numbness. She states that this is her first experience of vision loss. At the time of admission, she was hypertensive to 170/100s and started on amlodipine 5mg and losartan 25mg. Neurology and ophthalmology were consulted for concerns of stroke and new vision loss. She was started on heparin drip, aspirin 81mg, atorvastatin 80mg, and methylprednisolone 1g. Ocular examination revealed right brachial retinal artery occlusion. MRI brain showed chronic microvascular changes, but no acute intracranial hemorrhage or infarction. CT angiogram of the neck showed mild soft plaque in right carotid bifurcation. Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a 1.6cm x 1.6cm left ventricular mobile mass which appeared to be attached to the posteromedial papillary muscle and left ventricle ejection fraction of 60%. The patient underwent open heart surgery for removal of the mass. The mass was confirmed to be a papillary fibroelastoma attached to the left ventricular trabeculum. The mitral valve and subvalvular apparatus were not involved. New onset of stroke or acute vision loss is generally a result of thromboembolism. Most times it can be caused by a clot formed in a patient with atrial fibrillation. In other cases, it can be due to a ruptured cholesterol plaque. However, primary cardiac tumors are rare, especially ones on the papillary muscle. We presented a rare case of papillary fibroelastoma that possibly embolized causing acute unilateral vison loss. This case reinforces the importance of cardiac imaging in new stroke or acute vision loss.