Sudden unilateral vision loss arising from calcified amorphous tumor of the left ventricle

Tex Heart Inst J. 2013;40(4):453-8.

Abstract

Calcified amorphous tumor of the heart is a very rare non-neoplastic intracavitary mass. The clinical presentation is similar to that of other cardiac masses. The precise cause and best approach to treatment remain unclear. We describe a case of cardiac calcified amorphous tumor presenting with refractory unilateral vision loss that was successfully treated by surgical excision. To our knowledge, this is only the 2nd reported case of retinal arterial embolism due to cardiac calcified amorphous tumor in the English-language literature.

Keywords: Blindness/etiology; calcinosis/complications/radiography/surgery; diagnosis, differential; tumor, cardiac calcified amorphous; vision loss, sudden.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Blindness / diagnosis
  • Blindness / etiology*
  • Calcinosis / complications*
  • Calcinosis / pathology
  • Calcinosis / surgery
  • Cardiac Surgical Procedures
  • Embolism / diagnosis
  • Embolism / etiology*
  • Female
  • Heart Neoplasms / complications*
  • Heart Neoplasms / pathology
  • Heart Neoplasms / surgery
  • Heart Ventricles / pathology
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / pathology*
  • Retinal Artery Occlusion / diagnosis
  • Retinal Artery Occlusion / etiology*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome