title: [Recurrent pleural effusion revealing a left atrial myxoma].
abstract: A 43 years old woman without any medical history was admitted 8 months before with a right pleural effusion, considered and treated as tuberculous pleurisy, with a good evolution. The recurrence of the right pleural effusion, the reappearance of chest pain, anxiety and nocturnal dyspnea elicited new investigations. The pleural fluid had a low protein content, pleural biopsy was irrelevant. CT scan, bronchoscopy and abdominal ultrasound were of no diagnostic value. Cardiac ultrasound revealed a large left atrial tumor, determining mitral stenosis. The patient underwent surgery, the tumor was excised, the histologic type was myxoma. Three weeks after surgery a right pleural effusion was noticed, this time with high protein content and resolving with non-steroid anti-inflammatory treatment. Pleural effusion never reappeared in the following 6 months. Discussions are made upon the mechanism which determined the pleural effusion in this case.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Medicală, Spitalul Th. Burghele.
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Strâmbu
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ilieşiu
authors.forename: Ruxandra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Creţul
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Stoicescu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D009232:Myxoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000209:etiology*; D011859:Radiography; D012008:Recurrence; D014463:Ultrasonography