Although the initial results of patients who have had left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion devices implanted have been promising, there have been associated complications requiring surgical intervention. We report a case of a LAA occlusion device migrating into the left ventricle requiring cardiac surgery to retrieve it.
Thoracic chordomas are rare, low-grade malignant tumours arising from the notochordal remnants. These tumours are locally invasive and hence have a tendency for frequent local recurrence. This article presents an unusual appearance of a chordoma, as a bilobed tumour involving both the hemithoraxes. Since the treatment of choice for these tumours is complete surgical excision this involved multiple surgical procedures.
A 22-year-old woman presented with a 3-month history of a pulsatile swelling in the right supraclavicular region. A CT angiogram revealed an aneurysm arising from the distal right subclavian artery. At surgery, the subclavian artery was almost entirely replaced by a well-vascularized tumor mass. The vascular tumor along with the native vessel was excised and replaced with a vascular prosthesis. Biopsy was suggestive of an epithelioid hemangioma (EH). In conclusion, an EH is a rare vascular tumor. The presence of vascular hyperplasia with plump endothelial cells protruding into the lumen is the most important discriminator in establishing the diagnosis of EH. Vascular neoplasms presenting as aneurysms should be considered, especially if other etiologies can be excluded.
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