Heart valve papillary fibroelastoma associated with cardioembolic cerebral events

papillary fibroelastomas of the heart valves are benign, slow-growing, rare tumors of the heart. this tumor represents a potential cause of systemic embolism, stroke, myocardial infarction and sudden death. early diagnosis is very important, as surgical excision of these tumors can prevent cerebrovascular and cardiovascular complications. diagnosis is usually made by transesophageal echocardiogram. we describe two cases of patients with papillary fibroelastomas causing cardioembolic cerebral events, which underwent successful surgical treatment. the authors present a brief review of the literature.