Papillary fibroelastoma of the tricuspid valve in association with an atrial septal defect: report of a case.

Although papillary fibroelastoma is rare, it is the most common primary tumor of the heart valves. We describe herein the case of a 64-year-old woman scheduled to undergo atrial septal defect (ASD) repair, in whom a papillary fibroelastoma of the tricuspid valve was diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Surgical resection of the papillary fibroelastoma at the time of ASD repair prevented the fatal embolization sometimes associated with this lesion. Thus, intraoperative TEE played an important role in identifying the location of the tumor and its anatomic attachment, and in assessing the adequacy of surgical treatment.