A report and review of recurrent left atrial myxoma: not always such ‘a benign tumor’

We report a patient whose left atrial myxoma recurred three times and review 28 other reports of recurrent myxoma. Inadequate resection and multifocal growth appear to be two separate causes for recurrence.     

Bilateral acute lower limb ischemia secondary to complete embolization of cardiac myxoma

Cardiac myxomas are the most common benign cardiac tumors in adults that can present with peripheral embolization. Complete detachments of myxomas are rare and tend to cause aortoiliac embolism. We report a case of a middle-aged woman with bilateral popliteal artery and segmental renal artery embolisms secondary to a completely detached cardiac myxoma. This case highlights cardiac myxomas as an important cause of acute limb ischemia and that it is not excluded by a normal echocardiogram result.     

A giant right atrial villous myxoma with simultaneous pulmonary embolism

INTRODUCTION

Primary cardiac tumors are rare and approximately three quarters of them are benign and up to half of the benign tumors are myxomas. Right atrial villous myxoma with pulmonary embolism is an unusual apparition.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

A 29 year-old male was admitted to our outpatient clinic with progressive exertional dyspnea, chest pain and intermittent feeling faint. A giant right atrial villous mobile mass was detected by means of transthoracic echocardiography. To exclude possible pulmonary embolism, chest computed tomography scan was performed and showed filling defects in the branch of the pulmonary artery. The mass was totally resected.

DISCUSSION

RA villous myxoma is a rare subtype in an unusual location with high potential of pulmonary embolism. Early surgery for villous myxoma has a great importance in order to reduce the risk of pulmonary embolism.

CONCLUSION

3D TEE should be a sufficient technique for diagnosis and evoluation of shape, size and origin of the cardiac mass an adequate guide to surgical treatment.     

Right atrial myxoma developing 4 years following patch closure of an atrial septal defect: Report of a case

We report herein the rare case of a 13-year-old boy in whom a right atrial myxoma developed 4 years following patch closure of an ostium secundum atrial septal defect, at which time no other atrial abnormality had been observed. The myxoma arose from the atrial septum in the area between the orifices of the coronary sinus and inferior vena cava. The suture line was not involved. Gross and histopathological findings were characteristic of atrial myxoma. Atrial myxomas are usually considered to be slow-growing neoplasms; however, this case demonstrates that the initial period of growth may be quite rapid in some cases.     

Right atrial myxoma complicated with pulmonary embolism

A 25-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with chest pain and dyspnea, and was diagnosed as having a right atrial myxoma complicated with pulmonary embolism. An emergency operation was performed with cardiopulmonary bypass. A papillary pedunculated tumor was found having a narrow-based attachment to the free atrial wall. After the tumor was carefully removed together with the atrial wall around the attachment, pulmonary embolectomy was performed. Several fragments of the tumor were removed, and sufficient back-flow from the pulmonary artery was established. The postoperative course was uneventful. However, a non-perfused area was observed in the left lower lung on pulmonary hemodynamic scintigraphy at 3 months after the operation. Long-term observation is required due to the high risk for metastasis and recurrence, and further surgical treatment remains the most appropriate treatment option. A second operation may be needed to prevent progression in complications.     

Left atrial myxoma: Unusual presentation as a cystic tumor

Myxomas are the most common cardiac tumors, benign, and usually located in the left atrium. Typically echocardiography reveals a solid tumor, whereas cystic myxomas are rare with only a few cases documented in the literature. We describe the case of a 63-year-old, female patient with an unusual presentation of a left atrial myxoma as a cystic tumor.     

Infected left atrial myxoma with mitral valve endocarditis

We report a rare case of infected left atrial myxoma associated with mitral valve endocarditis. The tumor and a small amount of vegetative growth on the anterior mitral leaflet were surgically excised. Subsequent antibiotic therapy may have prevented the infection from recurring. Histological findings showed myxoma cells embedded in mucinous stroma at the tumor base and an organized thrombus with bacterial colonization at the tumor tip.     

Primary lung sarcoma mimicking left atrial myxoma

A case of left atrial myxoma, diagnosed on echocardiography in the emergency department, was referred for open heart surgical intervention. On reviewing chest X-ray, right lung, lower lobe whiteout was noted which instigated the need to perform a computed tomography (CT) chest. On CT chest, a heterogenously hypodense mass was seen along the posterior and inferior aspect of the right hemithorax. It had ill-defined planes with left atrium and extension into the left atrium through the right inferior pulmonary vein. On the basis of imaging, the etiology was sarcomatous/malignant vascular mass of pulmonary origin and unnecessary open-heart surgery was averted. The patient was transferred to the oncology department for further management.     

Intracranial metastasis from a glandular variant of atrial myxoma

Summary Background. Intracranial metastases from atrial myxoma producing symptomatic mass lesions are very rare with only ten examples reported in the literature. We report a patient with multiple metastases from a cardiac myxoma which had an unusual histopathology mimicking an adenocarcinoma. Clinical presentation. A 35 year old man presented with left facio-brachial focal motor seizures unresponsive to antiepileptic drugs and these episodes preceded the symptoms of cardiac myxoma. The seizures worsened a year following resection of the cardiac myxoma. The MRI of the brain revealed multiple lesions of heterogeneous intensity, partly solid and cystic situated in the right fronto-parietal, left temporal and occipital lobes. Findings. Right fronto-parietal craniotomy revealed lesions with haemorrhagic, calcified areas and a large cystic component was decompressed. Histological examination of the lesions in the brain demonstrated prominent glandular differentiation, identical in morphology to the primary cardiac lesion of a glandular variant of atrial myxoma. Conclusion. This report highlights the rare presentation of atrial myxoma with intracranial metastases and reviews previously reported examples. This is only the second case report of a glandular variant of atrial myxoma with metastases to the brain. A pathologist, unaware of this unusual variant of primary atrial myxoma, may mistake the intracranial lesion for a metastatic adenocarcinoma.     

Coronary artery thromboembolism: Unexpected presentation of left atrial myxoma covered with thrombus

Cardiac myxomas are benign primer cardiac tumors of the heart. They can be fatal with a thromboembolic presentation. Myocardial infarction is one of these unusual thromboembolic presentations. We report a patient who presented with cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation related to myocardial infarction. After successful resuscitation, coronary angiography and transthoracic echocardiography were performed. A left atrial mass was observed and interpreted as a possible cause of coronary embolism leading to myocardial infarction. After surgical excision, the pathological examination confirmed myxoma, which was the essential cause of the tendency to arterial embolism.     

Fourteen cases of left atrial myxoma with emphasis on related histology

With the availability of diagnostic ultrasonic equipment, there is an increase in the number of diagnosed cases of left atrial myxoma. Fourteen such patients underwent surgical treatment. One major concern was the possible recurrence of the tumor. Histologic examination revealed that the tumor cells did not invade the muscular layer beyond, the layer of elastic fiber adjacent to the endocardium, in all cases. We remove the stalk with theFossa Ovale when the tumor grown on theFossa Ovale. When the tumor is attached to the muscular septum or free wall, we remove the stalk with the endocardium and a part of the adjacent myocardial layer. The total resection of the muscular septum may not be necessary as far as the myxoma is concerned.     

Treatment of life-threatening huge atrial myxoma: Report of two cases

We herein report two patients with left atrial myxoma who needed an emergency operation. Case 1 was a 48-year-old woman who was injured in a traffic accident and underwent an operation for a right leg fracture. Just after the operation she developed cardiac and respiratory arrest with complaints of chest pain. She was successfully resuscitated and diagnosed to have a left atrial myxoma by echocardiography. Emergency surgery was performed and a giant left atrial myxoma was thus removed from the atrial septum. Case 2 was a 54-year-old housewife who was transferred to our department under the diagnosis of a left atrial myxoma by echocardiography. She complained of dyspnea and chest discomfort. By angiography, the tumor was seen to be partially incarcerated at the diastolic phase. A huge myxoma was removed from the atrial septum which was secured by a patch closure. Cardiac echocardiography can help rule out left atrial myxoma if it is highly suspected. As early surgical mortality is low and the long-term results are good, we strongly believe that patients with cardiac myxoma should be operated on as early as possible, once a diagnosis is made.     

Surgical excision of a broad-based left atrial myxoma: Report of a case

We report herein the case of a 72-year-old woman who underwent successful resection of an unusual type of broad-based left atrial myxoma. The tumor, which was attached to the fossa ovalis and anterior wall of the left atrium posterior to the aorta, was resected en bloc with the interatrial septum and the affected free wall of the left atrium. The defect in the left atrium and atrial septum was then reconstructed with an equine pericardial patch. To our knowledge, this type of cardiac myxoma, with a base extending from the septum to the atria] wall, has not been previously reported.     

全胸腔镜下心房黏液瘤摘除术44例

目的 总结全胸腔镜下心房黏液瘤手术的经验.方法 2007年12月至2011年11月,全胸腔镜下心房黏液瘤手术44例,其中左心房黏液瘤35例,右心房黏液瘤6例,双心房黏液瘤3例.通过右侧胸壁3孔建立体外循环,股动脉、静脉插管(或右心房、股静脉分别插上、下腔静脉插管),阻断钳阻断升主动脉,冷晶体(含血)心脏停搏液顺行灌注保护心肌.结果 手术均获成功,体外循环( 49±18) min,升主动脉阻断(28±10) min,术后呼吸机辅助(3.8±1.4)h,术后住院(6.8±1.3)天.术后并发症3例,1例为腹股沟切口液化,伤口延期愈合;2例皮下气肿,胸带加压包扎治愈.无严重并发症发生.全组术后3～5天超声心动图示手术效果满意.术后失访20例,余24例随访2个月至4年,心功能均Ⅰ级.结论 全胸腔镜下心房黏液瘤手术安全可靠,创伤小,患者恢复快.     

肌内黏液瘤1例

1病例资料患者,女,46岁,因"右大腿外侧无痛性、渐增性包块3年"于2011年1月17日收住入院。患者3年前无明显诱因发现右大腿外侧有约核桃大小的包块,无疼痛、压痛,质较硬,局部无红肿、溃破,当时未就医诊治。随时间推移,包块     

Surgical removal of left atrial myxoma through mini sternotomy and the superior transseptal approach

A 32-year-old man admitted for treatment of a left atrial myxoma showed a 76 x 25 mm tumor in the left atrium originating in the interatrial septum upon echocardiography. The myxoma was surgically removed using a mini sternotomy and the superior transseptal approach. The hospital course was unremarkable. In the 2 years since operation, the patient has remained asymptomatic and tumor-free. The superior transseptal approach is thus useful in surgical removal of left atrial myxoma because it can be excised with minimum manipulation despite the mini sternotomy and small skin incision.     

Obstructive neonatal respiratory distress: infected pyriform sinus cyst

Infected lateral cervical cysts in newborn are rare. We present the case of a baby born at 41 weeks of gestation. At day 3, persistent cyanosis was noted, and a mass appeared in the left cervical region next to the sternocleidomastoid muscle. No cutaneous sinus was visible. Ultrasound imaging showed no sign of blood flow within the mass and no septae. The mass extended down to the aortic arch and pushed the trachea to the right. A cervical lymphangioma was first suspected. Puncture of the mass evacuated 80 mL of pus, and a drain was put in place. Opacification through the drain showed a tract originating from the left pyriform fossa. Preoperative laryngoscopy and catheterization of the fistula tract confirmed the diagnosis. The cyst was totally excised up to the sinus with the assistance of a guidewire inserted orally through a rigid laryngoscope. This is a rare case of an infected pyriform sinus cyst in the neonatal period.     

Left atrial ball thrombus

We report a case of left atrial ball thrombus managed successfully by surgery. This is a rare clinical entity and has been reported quite infrequently in Indian literature despite the high incidence of Rheumatic mitral stenosis. The relevant literature is reviewed.