Incremental value of contrast echocardiography in the diagnosis of atrial myxoma.
Intracardiac myxomas have traditionally been divided into solid ovoid and soft papillary types based on a morphological appearance. Papillary myxomas given their friable nature are far more likely to cause embolic phenomenon and present with neurological symptoms, making it necessary to discriminate between these tumor subtypes. Papillary myxomas have also been demonstrated to be significantly less vascular than their ovoid counterparts in previous angiographic studies. We describe here for the first time, the application of transesophageal real time myocardial contrast echocardiography in a case of atrial papillary myxoma to assess tumor vascularity. (Echocardiography 2010;27:E46-E49).
Hari
Pawan
P
Division of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
Mohamad
Tamam
T
Kondur
Ashok
A
Jahania
Salik M
SM
Afonso
Luis
L
D000368:Aged; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009232:Myxoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology