Heart Scan Curiosities #8: Fat heart

8. July 2007 William Davis (2)
Here's a curious incidental finding on a heart scan: an unusual fat accumulation around the heart.



The arrows point to an unusually large accumulation of fat tissue on either side of the heart. This man was mildly but not excessively overweight at 5 ft 10 inches and 201 lbs.

I know of no specific implications of this curiosity. It makes me wonder if he was very obese at one time and has since lost the weight.
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Comments (2) -

  • Cindy

    7/9/2007 1:25:00 AM |

    What are the health implications of this?

    I buy beef hearts for my dogs and have noticed rather large fat deposits on the outside of the heart.  They always seem to be on the top part of the heart!

  • Dr. Davis

    7/9/2007 3:01:00 AM |

    Hi, Cindy--

    I'm not really sure.

    This is a really dramatic case. (Unfortunately, I failed to post a normal image next to it.)

    I do, however, pity the surgeon who, should this person go to bypass, have to dig through the fat to reach the heart. If only Track Your Plaque became common wisdom and made bypass unnecessary . . .

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