Left ventricular papillary fibroelastoma. An unusual cause of cerebral emboli.

We describe the case of a 63-year-old woman with a cardioembolic neurologic deficit secondary to papillary fibroelastoma, a rare intracardiac tumor. Diagnosis was made by use of 2-dimensional and transesophageal echocardiography. The tumor was surgically resected, and the patient had an uneventful recovery. In this report, we discuss the embolic potential of papillary fibroelastoma and the appropriate diagnostic and surgical approaches for patients with this rare disorder.