has anyone heard of a fatty lump on the heart?

Question

i had a xray and was told i had an enlarged heart then i had a ct scan an was told it was a fatty lump attached to my heart i have had a history of breathlessness and chest infections for the last 6 months now i have been told i have asthma but its the lump that worries me i have never heard of this and cant find anything on the internet

Answer 1

If they described the mass as "fatty" then it was probably not an atrial myxoma, even though myxomas are the most common variety of heart tumors.

What they probably saw (and you should ask your doctor if this is what it's called) was a CARDIAC LIPOMA, which is fairly rare. Lipomas are basically masses formed by overgrown fatty tissue and are benign, meaning non-cancerous. In the heart, they generally arise from the normal fatty tissue that grows on and around the heart causing the heart silhouette to look enlarged by chest xray. However, they are also occasionally found within the heart chambers or even the heart muscle.

It would be unusual for a cardiac lipoma to case breathlessness and recurrent chest infections, but since every case is unique, you should raise your concern with your doctor or ask for a second opinion from a cardiologist. They can review your CT scan, your history and your physical exam and make a determination as to whether the lipoma is something you should worry about or not.

Good luck! Hope that helps!

Answer 2

It could be atrial myxoma (a benign heart tumor).
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007273.htm