Heterotopic liver tissue has been described in the literature, more commonly observed in the abdominal cavity than in the thoracic cavity. In most reported supradiaphragmatic ectopic liver cases, there was a pedicle passing through the diaphragm and connecting the liver with the ectopic tissue. We report a case of heterotopic liver tissue misdiagnosed preoperatively as atrial myxoma. A 40 yearold woman presented to the Emergency Department with recurrent acute nocturnal respiratory distress. Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a 2 x 2.5 cm floating mass in right atrium at the junction of inferior vena cava. The patient underwent sternotomy for resection of the atrial mass based on presumed diagnosis of cardiac myxoma. Pathologic examination demonstrated polypoid encapsulated benign hepatic tissue. We presented this case because it is an extremely rare condition that is commonly misdiagnosed, and is the second case to date, to the best of our knowledge, of supradiaphragmatic heterotopic liver polyp identified inside the cardiac chambers in a living adult person.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.