Familial cardiac myxoma with multiple and contralateral recurrence

This report described a familial recurrent cardiac myxoma involving mother and daughter. The mother, at 27 year of age, had developed recurrent multiple myxomas in both left and right atrium and right ventricle 4 years after surgical excision of left atrial myxoma. Excision was successful and remains well without signs of recurrence 9 years postoperatively. In an asymptomatic 13-year-old daughter, a recurrent left atrial myxoma was found 3 years after the excision of right atrial myxoma by echocardiographic follow-up at 6 month intervals. Excision of left atrial myxoma was performed and histology showed the essentially the same findings as primary myxoma without signs of malignancy. From an experience of this familial recurrent myxoma and a review of 38 cases of 17 familial cardiac myxoma, it is recommended that wide excision of tumor including surrounding tissues, thorough search for multiple heterotopic tumors at surgery, close postoperative echocardiographic follow-up for at least 5 years, and examination of skin and breast tumor, and endocrine disorder for "complex" myxoma.