title: Giant left atrial myxoma in an elderly patient: natural history over a 7-year period.
abstract: We present the case of a 71-year-old woman with a 7-year history of a giant left atrial myxoma. The myxoma was attached to the atrial septum and occupied almost the entire left atrial cavity. The patient was hospitalized 4 times because of dyspnea on exertion, palpitations, fatigue, general asthenia, and weight loss. During prior hospitalizations, the patient had refused cardiac surgery. She developed several complications, including atrial fibrillation, mitral and tricuspid regurgitation, mesenteric embolism, pulmonary edema, and thrombotic stroke. We herein describe the natural history of left atrial myxoma in an elderly patient over a 7-year period.
authors.affiliation: Second Division of Cardiology, Internal Medicine Clinic, University Clinical Centre of Kosovo, Rrethi i Spitalit, p.n. 10000, Prishtina, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Gani
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bajraktari
authors.forename: Merita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emini
authors.forename: Venera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Berisha
authors.forename: Fitnete
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gashi
authors.forename: Arton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beqiri
authors.forename: Bedri
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zahiti
authors.forename: Hamza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Selmani
authors.forename: Faik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shatri
authors.forename: Rexhep
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manaj
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D009232:Myxoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D014463:Ultrasonography