Clinical recognition of atrial myxoma

Abstract

Those signs and symptoms sufficiently characteristic of atrial myxoma to alert physicians to their presence have been reviewed. They are the direct result of either inflow or outflow obstruction, tumor movement, presence of the tumor itself, or embolization of fragments of tumor or surrounding thrombus. Unless there is significant calcification of the tumor, the chest roentgenogram is of little diagnostic help. Electrocardiographic changes are nondiagnostic. The phonocardiogram, apex cardiogram, echocardiogram, cardiac radioisotope scan, and cardiac catheterization may provide data highly suggestive of the presence of an atrial tumor. Angiographic studies offer definitive diagnosis. The removal of the tumor generally results in amelioration of the signs and symptoms with the possible exception of atrioventricular valve incompetence and the rate tumor recurrence.