Benign Pericardial Hemangioma—A Rare Cause of Cardiac Tamponade

Abstract

Pericardial tumors are very rare. It can be primary or secondary, of which secondary tumors are more common. Pericardial hemangiomas are extremely rare primary neoplasms and there are only very few cases published in the literature. These patients can be asymptomatic. When symptomatic, they present with dyspnea, palpitation, or atypical chest pain. Severity of symptoms depends on the size and location of the tumor. Pericardial effusion with features of cardiac tamponade can lead to a life-threatening situation. Here, we report a case of pericardial hemangioma in a patient who presented with breathlessness and tamponade which was diagnosed preoperatively with computed tomography.

Keywords

• cardiac tamponade
• computed tomography
• pericardial hemangioma