title: The case of the disappearing myxoma.
abstract: We present a case demonstrating the utility of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in the diagnosis of a cardiac mass. A 70-year-old female who presented with chest pressure and left sided jaw pain was found to have a cardiac mass on transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography that was diagnosed as an atrial myxoma. A cardiac magnetic resonance test determined the mass to be more consistent with a thrombus than a myxoma through a stepwise approach using multiple pulse sequences. Thus, unwarranted and potentially risky thoracic surgery was avoided by the incorporation of a systematic evaluation by cardiac MRI.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USA. heitn001@mc.duke.edu
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Heitner
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Klem
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Trip J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Meine
authors.forename: Manesh R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Salman A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Haq
authors.forename: Dipan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Raymond J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000473:pathology; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009232:Myxoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000473:pathology; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000473:pathology