title: Right atrium mass in a 28-year-old patient with pulmonary embolism taking contraceptives.
abstract: We report the case of a 28-year-old woman taking contraceptives diagnosed with pulmonary embolism with a mass in the right atrium demonstrated by trans-thoracic echocardiogram that was not recognized on a previous angio-CT. Initially, it was thought to be a thrombus, but trans-oesophageal echocardiography and cardiac MRI showed data suggestive of cardiac neoplasm. Pericardial effusion and adjacent myocardial wall thickening noted on trans-oesophageal echocardiography were reported as signs that supported the possibility of malignancy, although cardiac MRI did not show wall infiltration signs. On the contrary, it demonstrated enhancement, which excludes the thrombotic nature of the mass and supports the diagnosis of neoplasm. The patient underwent surgery and biopsy proved that the mass was a myxoma. While myxomas are the most common among primary cardiac tumors, its attachment to the atrium free wall, far from the inter-atrium septum, the bi-lobed shape and accompanying pericardial effusion were atypical.
authors.affiliation: Medical-Surgical Unit of Respiratory Diseases, University Hospital Virgen del Rocio, Seville, Spain. luisoneumo@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jara-Palomares
authors.forename: Maria Pilar
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Serrano-Gotarredona
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lopez-Haldón
authors.forename: Maria José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Puras
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bibiloni-Lage
authors.forename: Elyan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Solano
authors.forename: Remedios
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Otero-Candelera
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003270:Contraceptive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology*; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003270:Contraceptive Agents