Aims: The differential diagnosis of intracardiac masses (ICM) is wide. While imaging modalities can suggest a diagnosis, clinical decision making usually requires histopathologic diagnosis. The aim of this study was to describe the procedural technique, safety outcomes, diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility of percutaneous transcatheter biopsy (TCB) for histopathologic diagnosis of ICM. The records of all patients undergoing TCB of ICM at the Mayo Clinic catheterisation laboratories in Rochester, Minnesota, between 2002 and 2017 were retrieved and reviewed.
Methods and results: TCB of ICM to establish histopathologic diagnosis was performed in 29 patients. Masses were located in the right-sided chambers in 93% of cases. Echocardiographic guidance was used. Ventricular arrhythmias requiring immediate cardioversion occurred in 7% of patients. No other complications were noted. The average number of samples retrieved per procedure was 7±3.6. A histopathologic diagnosis was made by TCB in 72% and altered clinical decision making in 52% of patients overall. Eleven patients (38%) who would otherwise have required excisional biopsy were able to avoid cardiovascular surgery. Each additional biopsy sample was associated with an increase in the likelihood of making a histopathologic diagnosis (OR 1.74, 95% CI: 1.05-2.87, p=0.032).
Conclusions: Echo-guided percutaneous TCB of ICM provides an accurate diagnosis and alters clinical management in the majority of cases. The procedural complication rate is low. An increase in the number of samples retrieved markedly improves the ability to render a diagnosis. TCB may therefore be considered as a first-line approach for the histopathologic diagnosis of ICM.