title: Left atrial myxoma associated with systemic AA amyloidosis.
abstract: A 76-year-old woman presenting with generalized amyloidosis of the AA-type protein was found to have a left atrial myxoma. Retrospective estimation of the concentration of SAA protein, a serum precursor of AA amyloid, before and after surgical removal of the myxoma, showed that the SAA protein had disappeared after the operation. A common manifestation of myxoma is the development of a severe inflammatory syndrome that sometimes simulates rheumatic fever or bacterial endocarditis. However, to our knowledge, it has never been described in association with amyloidosis. We suggest that atrial myxoma should be added the list of neoplastic and inflammatory diseases predisposing to AA amyloidosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Brugmann University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wens
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Goffin
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Pepys
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kutnowski
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Beers
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Decoodt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verbanck
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D009232:Myxoma / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein