Transesophageal echocardiographic diagnosis of multicentric left ventricular myxomas mimicking a left atrial tumor

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1992 Mar;103(3):471-4.

Abstract

We report a case of multicentric left ventricular myxomas with prolapse of one myxoma into the left atrium during ventricular systole that mimicked a left atrial tumor. The transthoracic echocardiogram showed large masses in the region of the mitral valve leaflets consistent with vegetations or tumors. A computed tomographic scan of the chest demonstrated two distinct left atrial masses, one of which appeared to prolapse from the left atrium into the left ventricle. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography showed a large pedunculated mass moving between the two left-sided cardiac chambers with intermittent trapping of the mass in the left atrium. The mass was attached to the left ventricular posteromedial papillary muscle by a long stalk. Another adjacent large ventricular mass was also noted in the left ventricle. These findings were confirmed at operation, which also demonstrated a third small tumor arising from the atrial aspect of the posterior mitral leaflet.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Echocardiography / methods
  • Esophagus
  • Heart Atria / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Heart Ventricles / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Myxoma / diagnostic imaging*
  • Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / diagnostic imaging*