Removal of a ventricular mitral valve fibroelastoma by an aortic approach.

Cardiac papillary fibroelastomas are rare neoplasms usually incidentally found by echocardiography for unrelated problems. Otherwise they could be diagnosed following cardiac symptoms or after an embolic complication. The treatment is only surgical, whatever their size, to prevent any complications. A patient is described who presented acute psychiatric symptoms as a consequence of cerebral embolism of a mitral valve papillary fibroelastoma. The surgical excision was performed through an aortotomy with videoscopy used to help exposure and removal.