A case of a right atrial blood cyst with difficulty in identifying the attachment site using intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography

Abstract

　We report a case of a cardiac blood cyst, the attachment site of which could not be identified by preoperative transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Preoperative TTE and CT showed the tumor near the entry of the right atrium in the inferior vena cava but we could not identify the tumor attachment site. Identifying the attachment site is critical for tumor resection. However, intraoperative TEE showed only a part of the tumor. Surgical site echocardiography revealed tumor attachment at the right side of the atrial septum, which allowed tumor resection during cardiopulmonary bypass. Thus, surgical site echocardiography was useful in identifying the attachment site of an atrial blood cyst.