Calcified amorphous tumor located on a severely calcified mitral annulus in a patient with normal renal function

A calcified amorphous tumor (CAT) of the heart is a rare, nonneoplastic, intracavitary cardiac mass. Histological examination shows that it contains calcified and amorphous fibrous material with underlying chronic inflammation. Surgical excision is generally recommended to avoid future embolism. The risk of embolism has been reported to be especially high in mitral-annular-calcification-related CAT, which constitutes a subgroup of CAT that is often associated with end-stage renal disease. A case of a CAT attached to the anterior annulus of the mitral valve that was easily removed with a light touch of the forceps through aortotomy is reported.