Malignant Arrhythmias Caused by Pericardial Lipomas
- 1NYU-Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
Abstract
Background: Cardiac lipomas are usually benign but can cause significant hemodynamic and arrhythmic complications, such as ventricular tachycardia, depending on size, location, and myocardial involvement. Case 1 Summary: An 18-year-old man presented with cardiac arrest during exercise. Following a normal coronary angiogram, a defibrillator was implanted. After recurrent shocks, imaging demonstrated a large cardiac lipoma. Surgical excision resulted in cessation of his recurrent ventricular tachycardia. Case 2 Summary: A 25-year-old woman presented with ventricular tachycardia, and imaging revealed a large cardiac lipoma with coronary artery encasement. Surgical resection led to resolution of ventricular arrhythmias, and permanent defibrillator implantation was avoided. Discussion: These cases highlight how cardiac lipomas can lead to ventricular arrhythmias through mass effect and proximity to the coronary vasculature. Multimodal imaging was indispensable for the diagnosis and surgical planning for these cases. Take-Home Messages: Cardiac lipomas can cause life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. A multimodal imaging approach combined with multidisciplinary team evaluation is essential for accurate diagnosis and management.
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BibTeX
@article{matthewhenriques2026malignant,
title = {{Malignant Arrhythmias Caused by Pericardial Lipomas}},
author = {Matthew Henriques, MD and Farah Tamizuddin, MD and Victor Becerra-Gonzales, MD and Brian Hsia, MD and Kana Fujikura, MD and Jill Jacobs, MD and Robert Donnino, MD and Dan Halpern, MD and Aubrey Galloway, MD and Thittamaranahalli Kariyappa Susheel Kumar, MD and Lior Jankelson, MD, PhD and Chirag Barbhaiya, MD},
journal = {JACC: Case Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.jaccas.2026.110316},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccas.2026.110316},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Malignant Arrhythmias Caused by Pericardial Lipomas
AU - Matthew Henriques, MD
AU - Farah Tamizuddin, MD
AU - Victor Becerra-Gonzales, MD
AU - Brian Hsia, MD
AU - Kana Fujikura, MD
AU - Jill Jacobs, MD
AU - Robert Donnino, MD
AU - Dan Halpern, MD
AU - Aubrey Galloway, MD
AU - Thittamaranahalli Kariyappa Susheel Kumar, MD
AU - Lior Jankelson, MD, PhD
AU - Chirag Barbhaiya, MD
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - JACC: Case Reports
DO - 10.1016/j.jaccas.2026.110316
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccas.2026.110316
AB - Background: Cardiac lipomas are usually benign but can cause significant hemodynamic and arrhythmic complications, such as ventricular tachycardia, depending on size, location, and myocardial involvement. Case 1 Summary: An 18-year-old man presented with cardiac arrest during exercise. Following a normal coronary angiogram, a defibrillator was implanted. After recurrent shocks, imaging demonstrated a large cardiac lipoma. Surgical excision resulted in cessation of his recurrent ventricular tachycardia. Case 2 Summary: A 25-year-old woman presented with ventricular tachycardia, and imaging revealed a large cardiac lipoma with coronary artery encasement. Surgical resection led to resolution of ventricular arrhythmias, and permanent defibrillator implantation was avoided. Discussion: These cases highlight how cardiac lipomas can lead to ventricular arrhythmias through mass effect and proximity to the coronary vasculature. Multimodal imaging was indispensable for the diagnosis and surgical planning for these cases. Take-Home Messages: Cardiac lipomas can cause life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. A multimodal imaging approach combined with multidisciplinary team evaluation is essential for accurate diagnosis and management.
SN - 2666-0849
ER -