MRI findings of epipericardial fat necrosis: As a rare cause of acute chest pain in a healthy man

Abstract

Epipericardial fat necrosis (EPFN) is a rare, benign cause of acute chest pain imitating symptoms of life-threatening diseases, such as acute coronary syndrome. Here We report a 37-year-old, healthy male presented to the emergency department (ED) with sudden-onset pleuritic chest pain after an isometric physical training. Initial cardiac workup included ECG, echocardiography was unremarkable, but diagnosis of an inflammatory process that involved the epipericardial fat tissue surrounding the heart was made by showing encapsulated fatty lesion, enhanced adjacent parietal pericardium using of contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Magnetic resonance imaging would help physicians to differentiate EPFN from severe and life-treating conditions.

Keywords

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Computed tomography (CT)
• Chest pain
• Pericardium
• Fat necrosis