A 70-year-old female with a pulmonary embolism was admitted to a local hospital. On admission, transthoracic echocardiography detected a mobile cardiac tumor on the aortic valve. After medical treatment for a pulmonary embolism, she was slated for a resection of the tumor in our hospital. Although preoperative examinations showed an isolated tumor attached to the non-coronary cusp without valve dysfunction, meticulous intraoperative inspection revealed multiple fine villous tumors located in the left coronary cusp of the aortic valve. Being immersed in saline solution, these tumors had resembled a distinctive sea anemone-like appearance. These fine tumors could not be detected with intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography even in a retrospective manner. We eventually performed aortic valve replacement. The tumors of the two cusps were pathologically diagnosed as papillary fibroelastoma. Of note, a macroscopically undetected tumor was identified in the right coronary cusp by histopathological evaluation. Careful intraoperative observation is essential for surgical decision and patient’s prognosis. It is also considered that latent tumor might be concealed even in seemingly normal adjacent cusps in a case with multiple papillary fibroelastomas.

BACKGROUND: The facial expression of medical staff has been known to greatly affect the psychological state of patients, making them feel uneasy or conversely, cheering them up. By clarifying the characteristics of facial expression recognition ability in patients with Lewy body disease, the aim of this study is to examine points to facilitate smooth communication between caregivers and patients with the disease whose cognitive function has deteriorated. METHODS: During the period from March 2016 to July 2017, we examined the characteristics of recognition of the six facial expressions of "happiness," "sadness," "fear," "anger," "surprise," and "disgust" for 107 people aged 60 years or more, both outpatient and inpatient, who hospital specialists had diagnosed with Lewy body diseases of Parkinson's disease, Parkinson's disease with dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. Based on facial expression recognition test results, we classified them by cluster analysis and clarified features of each type. RESULTS: In patients with Lewy body disease, happiness was kept unaffected by aging, age of onset, duration of the disease, cognitive function, and apathy; however, recognizing the facial expression of fear was difficult. In addition, due to aging, cognitive decline, and apathy, the facial expression recognition ability for sadness and anger decreased. In particular, cognitive decline reduced recognition of all of the facial expressions except for happiness. The test accuracy rates were classified into three types using the cluster analysis: "stable type," "mixed type," and "reduced type". In the "reduced type", the overall facial recognition ability declined except happiness, and in the mixed type, recognition ability of anger particularly declined. CONCLUSION There were several facial expressions that the Lewy body disease patients were unable to accurately identify. Caregivers are recommended to make an effort to compensate for such situations with language or body contact, etc., as a way to convey correct feeling to the patients of each type.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cluster Analysis ; Cognition ; physiology ; Emotions ; Facial Expression ; Facial Recognition ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Lewy Body Disease ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Male ; Middle Aged