Primary cardiac paraganglioma. Case report and review of surgically treated cases.

Abstract

A 58 year old man with an infiltrating non-resectable left atrial paraganglioma was diagnosed by sternotomy and open biopsy. The patient remains symptom free 16 months after the operation. No evidence of an increase in the size of the tumour has been detected by echocardiography. The literature regarding surgically treated patients with cardiac paragangliomas is reviewed.