title: [Myxoma of the heart--clinical features, course and long term follow-up].
abstract: This study deals with clinical features, course and results of an eleven year follow-up of 22 patients with myxoma of the heart, 16 females and 6 males, mean age 48 years. Left atrial myxoma was found in 18 patients (82%) and right atrial myxoma in 4. The most frequent clinical features were fatigue in 64%, shortness of breath in 82%, systemic pulmonary embolism in 50% and prolonged fever in 27% of patients. On auscultation of the heart diastolic murmur was found in the mitral area in 36% and in tricuspid area in 14% of patients. The most helpful diagnostic noninvasive procedure was echocardiography which showed myxoma of the heart in all 22 patients. Left and right heart catheterisation studies were performed in 11 patients; in all patients with left atrial myxoma various degrees of pulmonary hypertension were found. Twenty one patients underwent open heart surgery; in twenty removal of myxoma was performed and in one concomitant mitral valve replacement was done. The mean follow-up of this group of patients was 6.2 years. All patients were asymptomatic and without clinical or echocardiographic signs of reccurrence.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Obrenović-Kirćanski
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bosković
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Simin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kusić
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knezević
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knezević
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Petrović
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009232:Myxoma / Q000175:diagnosis*