Mesothelioma of the atrioventricular node and congenital complete heart block

Our plain-English summary of Mesothelioma of the atrioventricular node and congenital complete heart block, by R. Subramanian, B. Flygenring (Clinical Cardiology, 1989).

The study

• Authors: R. Subramanian, B. Flygenring
• Journal: Clinical Cardiology
• Published: 1989;12(8):469-72
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 5 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Congenital complete heart block (CCHB) has heterogeneous etiologies. It may occur as an isolated entity with no associated congenital cardiac malformations and is difficult to diagnose even with modern technology. Mesothelioma of the atrioventricular (AV) node is a benign tumor that causes CCHB. The occurrence of this tumor is rare, and a definitive diagnosis of the entity is made only at autopsy. The conduction disturbance caused by the mesothelioma is potentially treatable and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of CCHB. We present a case report of a 38-year-old female with CCHB caused by such a tumor. Clinical diagnosis and treatment of CCHB are reviewed.

In plain English

This article was a case report of one woman whose complete heart block the authors called congenital, while noting that it can be called congenital with certainty only if noted at birth. The authors attributed it to a mesothelioma of the atrioventricular node, a tumor they described as benign. The article does not mention asbestos. The woman, aged 38, was admitted to hospital for breathlessness with a pulse of 37. She reported a lifelong slow pulse, first recorded at 36 beats per minute at age 21, and an electrocardiogram before this admission had shown complete heart block. A permanent pacemaker was inserted. Two years later she collapsed at work and could not be revived. At autopsy her heart weighed 275 g, one coronary artery was 50% narrowed, and the valves appeared normal. The part of the text describing the tumor itself is missing. The authors also reviewed published work on diagnosing and treating this heart block. They concluded that the tumor's conduction disturbance is potentially treatable and should be considered when diagnosing congenital complete heart block.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: case report, with a review of the literature on the diagnosis and treatment of congenital complete heart block
• Who was studied: one 38-year-old woman admitted to hospital for breathlessness (dyspnea); the article does not state the date of the case
• Exposure: No exposure was studied. The article does not mention asbestos or any other exposure; the tumor is described as a benign tumor of the atrioventricular node.
• Main results:
  • The patient reported a lifelong slow pulse. Her pulse was recorded as 36 beats per minute during her first pregnancy at age 21.
  • An electrocardiogram taken years before this admission had shown complete atrioventricular block.
  • On admission her pulse was 37, and a permanent pacemaker was inserted.
  • Two years after discharge she collapsed at work, and resuscitation failed.
  • At autopsy the heart weighed 275 g and the left anterior descending coronary artery showed 50% narrowing; all cardiac valves appeared normal.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the conduction disturbance caused by mesothelioma of the atrioventricular node is potentially treatable and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of congenital complete heart block.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • In their review, the authors caution that complete heart block can be called congenital with certainty only if it is noted at birth. This patient's slow pulse was first recorded in adulthood.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Autopsy, Differential Diagnosis.

Related studies

• "Mesothelioma of the atrioventricular node" with long-standing complete heart block. Report of a case — I.R. Wanless, B.W. Mielke, et al. (1975)
• Congenital polycystic tumor of the atrioventricular node (endodermal heterotopia, mesothelioma): a histogenetic appraisal with evidence for its endodermal origin — G. Fine, U. Raju (1987)
• Fatal heart block due to mesothelioma of the atrioventricular node — D.W. Evans, P.G. Stovin (1986)
• Mesothelioma of the atrioventricular node — K. Nishida, G. Kamijima, et al. (1985)
• Mesothelioma of the atrioventricular node: first successful follow-up after excision — S. Balasundaram, S.A. Halees, et al. (1992)
• Corpora amylacea in mesothelioma of the atrioventricular node — R. David, Y. Hiss (1978)

Browse return to medical research.