Case Report: Neonatal right atrial mass of uncertain etiology
BackgroundNeonatal intracardiac masses are rare and pose significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, particularly in differentiating thrombi from tumors.Case summaryWe present the case of a preterm neonate with a right atrial mass of uncertain etiology. Multimodal imaging, including echocardi...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1621500/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850111634804047872 |
|---|---|
| author | Libor Svoboda Sabine Mank Sabine Meier Marcel Vollroth Alexandra Kiess Christian Schürer |
| author_facet | Libor Svoboda Sabine Mank Sabine Meier Marcel Vollroth Alexandra Kiess Christian Schürer |
| author_sort | Libor Svoboda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundNeonatal intracardiac masses are rare and pose significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, particularly in differentiating thrombi from tumors.Case summaryWe present the case of a preterm neonate with a right atrial mass of uncertain etiology. Multimodal imaging, including echocardiography and cardiac MRI, suggested the presence of a thrombus—consistent with thrombi being the most common type of intracavitary cardiac mass. As a result, primary anticoagulation therapy was initiated. However, after 16 days without significant change in the mass and given the high risk of embolization and the possibility of a benign tumor, surgical excision was performed. Histopathological analysis of the excised tissue could not definitively distinguish between an organized thrombus and a regressed benign neoplasm, although no malignant cells were identified.ConclusionsThis case highlights the diagnostic uncertainty surrounding neonatal intracardiac masses and the limitations of imaging and pathology in achieving definitive diagnosis. A multidisciplinary approach and long-term follow-up are essential, particularly when the true nature of the mass remains unclear. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b7feeeb3d9b14b76b080a68aa198de0c |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2296-2360 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj-art-b7feeeb3d9b14b76b080a68aa198de0c2025-08-20T02:37:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pediatrics2296-23602025-07-011310.3389/fped.2025.16215001621500Case Report: Neonatal right atrial mass of uncertain etiologyLibor Svoboda0Sabine Mank1Sabine Meier2Marcel Vollroth3Alexandra Kiess4Christian Schürer5Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Jena, Jena, GermanySection of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, University Hospital Jena, Jena, GermanyDepartment for Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Leipzig Heart Center, Leipzig, GermanyDepartment for Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Leipzig Heart Center, Leipzig, GermanyDepartment of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Jena, Jena, GermanyDepartment of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Jena, Jena, GermanyBackgroundNeonatal intracardiac masses are rare and pose significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, particularly in differentiating thrombi from tumors.Case summaryWe present the case of a preterm neonate with a right atrial mass of uncertain etiology. Multimodal imaging, including echocardiography and cardiac MRI, suggested the presence of a thrombus—consistent with thrombi being the most common type of intracavitary cardiac mass. As a result, primary anticoagulation therapy was initiated. However, after 16 days without significant change in the mass and given the high risk of embolization and the possibility of a benign tumor, surgical excision was performed. Histopathological analysis of the excised tissue could not definitively distinguish between an organized thrombus and a regressed benign neoplasm, although no malignant cells were identified.ConclusionsThis case highlights the diagnostic uncertainty surrounding neonatal intracardiac masses and the limitations of imaging and pathology in achieving definitive diagnosis. A multidisciplinary approach and long-term follow-up are essential, particularly when the true nature of the mass remains unclear.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1621500/fullneonatal cardiac massintracardiac thrombuscardiac tumorechocardiography in neonatescardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)pediatric cardiac surgery |
| spellingShingle | Libor Svoboda Sabine Mank Sabine Meier Marcel Vollroth Alexandra Kiess Christian Schürer Case Report: Neonatal right atrial mass of uncertain etiology Frontiers in Pediatrics neonatal cardiac mass intracardiac thrombus cardiac tumor echocardiography in neonates cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pediatric cardiac surgery |
| title | Case Report: Neonatal right atrial mass of uncertain etiology |
| title_full | Case Report: Neonatal right atrial mass of uncertain etiology |
| title_fullStr | Case Report: Neonatal right atrial mass of uncertain etiology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Case Report: Neonatal right atrial mass of uncertain etiology |
| title_short | Case Report: Neonatal right atrial mass of uncertain etiology |
| title_sort | case report neonatal right atrial mass of uncertain etiology |
| topic | neonatal cardiac mass intracardiac thrombus cardiac tumor echocardiography in neonates cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pediatric cardiac surgery |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1621500/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT liborsvoboda casereportneonatalrightatrialmassofuncertainetiology AT sabinemank casereportneonatalrightatrialmassofuncertainetiology AT sabinemeier casereportneonatalrightatrialmassofuncertainetiology AT marcelvollroth casereportneonatalrightatrialmassofuncertainetiology AT alexandrakiess casereportneonatalrightatrialmassofuncertainetiology AT christianschurer casereportneonatalrightatrialmassofuncertainetiology |