title: Right atrial mass after open heart surgery: tumour or thrombus?
abstract: Detection of a rapidly growing mass in the right atrium during routine inter-echocardiogram follow-up period in two patients after corrective open-heart surgery raises concerns about nature of the mass and the probable cause. One turned out to be an atrial myxoma that grew rapidly over a eight month period and the other a well encapsulate thrombus in a fully anticoagulated patient. Preoperative transthoracic echocardiogram had reported both the cases to be a myxoma. This article highlights the importance of considering rare causes in the face of a seemingly obvious diagnosis and possible use of imaging modalities in the management of these cases.
authors: Institute for Cardiac Treatment and Research, Southern Railway Headquarter Hospital, Perambur, Chennai 600 023, India. sureshbkale@gmail.com
authors: Suresh Babu
authors: SB
authors: Kale
authors: Ashish
authors: A
authors: Badkhal
authors: Natarajan Meenakshinatan
authors: NM
authors: Kumar
authors: Jagannathan
authors: J
authors: Raghavan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology*; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009232:Myxoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011184:Postoperative Period; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult