Giant intrapericardial lipoma: Clinical and forensic implications
Introduction. Even though lipomas are the most common benign tumors, they are rarely found in the pericardial cavity. Although histopathologically benign, they can cause life-threatening complications by rapid growth and may there-fore be clinically considered malignant. Case report. We present an 8...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Military Health Department, Ministry of Defance, Serbia
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Vojnosanitetski Pregled |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0042-8450/2023/0042-84502200023B.pdf |
| Summary: | Introduction. Even though lipomas are the most common benign tumors, they are rarely found in the pericardial cavity. Although histopathologically benign, they can cause life-threatening complications by rapid growth and may there-fore be clinically considered malignant. Case report. We present an 80-year-old female who was injured during a syncopal episode when falling from a standing height and suffered bodily injuries for which she was hospitalized. In the further course of her short-term hospital treatment, death occurred, and the cause of death was marked as “un-known”. At the autopsy, a dilated and tense pericardium filling up a large part of the chest cavity was noted. A well-encapsulated soft tissue mass, 2 0 × 1 8 × 3 cm in size, weighing 820 g, was visualized in the pericardial cavity. Histopathological examination revealed that the mass was a lipoma and showed acute myocardial necrosis; therefore, it was assumed that the cause of death was probably due to the compression of lipoma on coronary arteries. Conclusion. Even though intrapericardial lipomas are benign tumors, they can cause life-threatening complications and sudden cardiac death. There are numerous diagnostic methods capable of detecting intrapericardial lipomas, and with timely treatment, the patient can be cured. |
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| ISSN: | 0042-8450 2406-0720 |