Fat-containing lesions of cardiac imaging

Congress:

ECR 2006

Poster Number:

C-161

Type:

Educational

Keywords:

Authors:

S. A. Pineda, R. Domínguez-Oronoz, X. Merino-Casabiel, S. Gispert, A. Evangelista, J. Cáceres; Barcelona/ES

DOI:

10.1594/ECR06/C-161

DOI-Link:

https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/ECR06/C-161

Fig. 1

Fig. 2: Figure 1. Photograph of left tubal pregnancy during laparoscopy in a...

Fig. 3

Fig. 4: Figure 2. GS-like structure in a 38-year-old woman with left tubal pregnancy...

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Fig. 6: Figure 3. GS-like structure in a 38-year-old woman with left tubal pregnancy...

Learning objectives

To identify and illustrate the imaging findings of fat-containing lesions on cardiac imaging. To describe various pitfalls related with fat tissue distribution that can mimic cardiac disease.

Background

Fatty lesions of the heart are relatively uncommon and in the past, were usually found at autopsy. Now, with the widespread use of cross-sectional imaging studies, these lesions are increasingly encountered in clinical practice. CT and cardiac MRI provide important information that allows tissue characterisation on the basis of the typical fat attenuation and signal intensity characteristics of fat. Identification of fat within a cardiac lesion significantly narrows the differential diagnosis. In many cases, a specific diagnosis can be suggested on the basis of CT...

Imaging findings OR Procedure details

Cardiac neoplasms Primary cardiac tumours are rare. Cardiac lipomas and liposarcomas comprise an even rarer subgroup of primary cardiac tumours. Primary liposarcomas account for only about 1% of primary malignant tumours of the heart (1), whereas lipomas represent about 10% of all primary cardiac tumors (2). Lipomas are usually asymptomatic, and are often detected incidentally. The most commonly reported sites of cardiac lipomas are the right atrium and left ventricle, with half being subendocardial, one-fourth subepicardial, and one-fourth occurring within the myocardium. On CT, lipomas...

Conclusion

A variety of cardiac lesions contain fat. CT and MR imaging are useful for making a tissue-specific diagnosis based on the findings of fat attenuation and signal intensity characteristics of fat. The radiologist should be aware of several pitfalls related to abnormal distribution of normal fat in order to avoid misinterpreting them as pathological findings.

References

1. Grebenc ML, Rosado de Christenson ML, Burke AP, Green CE, Galvin JR. Primary cardiac and pericardial neoplasms: radiologic-pathologic correlation. Radiographics 2000; 20:1073-1103; quiz1110-1071,1112. 2. Vanderheyden M, De Sutter J, Wellens F, Andries E. Left atrial lipoma: case report and review of the literature. Acta Cardiol 1998; 53:31-32. 3. Salanitri JC, Pereles FS. Cardiac lipoma and lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial septum: cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings. J Comput Assist Tomogr 2004; 28:852-856. 4. Uemura S, Watanabe M, Iwama H, Saito Y. Extensive primary cardiac...

Personal Information

Víctor Pineda MD, [email protected] Radiology Department, H.G. Vall d’Hebron. Barcelona. Rosa Domínguez-Oronoz MD, Radiology Department, H.G. Vall d’Hebron. Barcelona. Xavier Merino-Casabiel MD, Radiology Department, H.G. Vall d’Hebron. Barcelona. Susana Gispert MD, Radiology Department, H.G. Vall d’Hebron. Barcelona. Arturo Evangelista MD, Cardiology Department, H.G. Vall d’Hebron. Barcelona. José Cáceres MD, Radiology Department, H.G. Vall d’Hebron. Barcelona.