title: Cardiac myxoma. Clinical and pathologic features in 15 cases.
abstract: Neoplasms are rare cardiac findings of which myxomas comprise about 75%. We report of 15 patients, predominantly female (60%) with a mean age of 58.8 years. Male patients (40%) were 20 years younger on average. 80% of these tumors developed in the left atrium fixed to the atrial septum. In 2 patients the right ventricle and in 1 patient the right atrium was involved. No left ventricular or bilateral tumors were found. Clinical findings showed a great variety of symptoms. Often misdiagnosis was established until echocardiography was performed. Major symptoms were dyspnea (80%), elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (73%), arrhythmias (53%), lung edema (47%), embolization (40%) and anemia (40%). Pathological examination and tumor genesis are still in discussion. Several theories are reported in literature: a true thrombus, thrombus organization with malignant potential, true neoplasms as well as a familiar myxoma complex may explain clinical and histological features. Our findings did not confirm only one theory but emphasize different possibilities.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik Bonn, Herz- und Gefässchirurgie.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paterakis
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Likungu
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Kirchhoff
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009232:Myxoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000473:pathology