title: Imitation of a chronic recurrent inflammatory illness by a cardiac myxoma.
abstract: A 10-year-old boy presented with unspecific symptoms and laboratory abnormalities simulating a chronic recurrent inflammatory disorder. Cardiovascular symptoms were absent. After 2 years of intermittent symptoms and persisting laboratory signs of an inflammatory disorder, echocardiographic evaluation revealed a large left atrial tumour. Immediate surgical excision confirmed the diagnosis of a cardiac myxoma and resulted in freedom from symptoms and normalization of laboratory parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A cardiac myxoma can present with unspecific and extracardiac symptoms. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis on unclear chronic inflammatory or chronically recurrent febrile illness suggesting an auto-immune vasculitis or collagen disorder.
authors.affiliation: University Children's Hospital, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pfammatter
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iff
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schüpbach
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009232:Myxoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D012008:Recurrence