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A 61-year-old man presented to the emergency room with lower extremity edema. Physical exam was only remarkable for a diastolic murmur in the right carotid area and left lower extremity edema. Venous Doppler revealed a deep venous thrombosis in the left lower extremity. Chest computed tomography (CT) with intravenous contrast ruled out pulmonary embolism but showed a mediastinal mass adjacent to the pericardium. Further imaging with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and cardiac CT angiography (CCTA) enabled localization and evaluation of the structural characteristics of the mass. The decision was made to excise the mass due to increasing size compared with its measurements on prior chest CTs and a high degree of vascularization seen on CMR and CCTA, which was concerning for an enlarging arteriovenous malformation or a hemangioma. However, histopathologic analysis of the mass revealed it to be a micronodular thymoma.

Over the past decade, advances in digital trends and technology have greatly impacted the medical field with rapid delivery of and access to information. The field of cardiovascular medicine in particular has seen major technological advances and is well versed in the use of digital platforms and social media. In these unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic, social media and other digital platforms are essential tools for communication, education, and delivery of information. In this review, we discuss the ways virtual learning and social media are changing medical education and research.