Cardiac myxoma misdiagnosed as infective endocarditis: a case of Carney complex

Finding of a mass on the mitral valve in a patient on chronic dialysis

Myxomas are cardiac neoplasms that are most commonly located in the left atrium, usually arising from the vicinity of the fossa ovalis. However, there have been cases, although very rarely, of valvular myxoma. A cardiac mass found incidentally on echocardiography can present a challenge in particular if asymptomatic or found in an unusual location. We present the case of a 58-year-old male with kidney disease treated with chronic dialysis, referred to the cardiology clinic because of an incidental finding of a mitral valvular mass on routine transthoracic echocardiography. Although this lesion was initially misdiagnosed as native valvular endocarditis with vegetation, a series of clinical and radiological investigations led to the preoperative diagnosis of possible papillary fibroelastoma or calcified thrombotic mass. Given the increased risk of embolization due to the mass being mobile and greater than 1 cm in size, the patient was referred to cardiac surgery. Excision of the mass without mitral valve replacement was performed. Histopathological findings of the mass revealed the existence of a cardiac myxoma. In such cases of a mitral valve mass, multimodality imaging should have of high priority to achieve an accurate diagnosis. Although a definitive diagnosis can only be established after surgical excision of the mass and histopathological confirmation, it is very important to consider a differential diagnosis of mitral valve myxoma in any patient with an unexplained mitral valve mass.

Stroke as the first manifestation of an atrial myxoma. Review of the literature

Cardiac myxoma (CM) is the most common benign tumor of the heart and an important etiology of stroke in young adults. The study aimed to provide the latest literature data on CMs and, in particular, on the association between CM and cardioembolic ischemic stroke. It also discussed a specific instance of atrial myxoma (AM) in a young patient who suffered an ischemic stroke linked with familial cavernomatosis. The case presentation focuses on a 43-year-old woman showed up at the hospital's Emergency Room for transient speech disorders lasting about 15 minutes. The physical examination revealed preserved mental and cognitive status. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed three areas of microvascular ischemia (frontal, parietal, and left occipital), in addition to multiple cavernomatous lesions. Because these microvascular ischemias were located in different vascular territories, we considered the cause to be embolic and completed the investigation with a transesophageal cardiac ultrasound that revealed a mobile and heterogeneous tumor mass in the left atrium. Histopathological investigation with immunohistochemistry proved the tumor to be a CM. The patient therapy included a multidisciplinary approach, which led to surgical excision of the tumor. The co-existence of cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) and AM might thus be coincidental or induced by a common genetic component. More cases are needed to verify or disprove the concept of a shared genetic basis for CCMs and myxoma.

Asymptomatic Left Atrial Myxoma Treated With Minimally Invasive Surgical Approach

Myxomas, being the most common primary benign tumor among all cardiac tumors, occur rarely with a very low incidence rate. Myxomas can cause various clinical manifestations or can be diagnosed incidentally. Some patients with cardiac myxomas are completely asymptomatic. Cardiac myxomas cause life-threatening complications, thus early diagnosis is imperative. We are reporting a case of atrial myxoma in a 38-year-old female without any significant past medical history, who came to our clinic for cardiology evaluation prior to plastic surgery. The elliptical mobile mass, located in the left atrium with its attachment to the interatrial septum, was diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography. The patient was referred for surgery and a minimally invasive surgical approach was chosen. A histological report confirmed the diagnosis of myxoma. The patient recovered well. Three years of follow-up did not reveal any signs of recurrence of the tumor. We are also analyzing 20 previously published cases of asymptomatic myxomas and myxomas treated with a minimally invasive surgical approach, reported in the PubMed database for the last 20 years (2001-2021) in the adult patient population (age 19 and over). The aim of this study is to highlight the asymptomatic presentation of cardiac myxomas and to underline the advantages of a minimally invasive surgical approach. In summary, asymptomatic cardiac myxomas are rare incidental findings. Attention to subtle symptoms during a physical exam and scrupulous history-taking can provide a clue to this diagnosis. Early diagnosis of cardiac myxomas is crucial to prevent life-threatening complications. Minimally invasive surgery is a promising alternative approach to standard open-heart surgery for treating cardiac myxomas, providing faster recovery and higher patient satisfaction with surgical care.