Background: Myxoma, a benign cardiac tumor, develops in intracavitary locations. It is most frequent in the left atrium, but rare in the pulmonary infundibulum.
Case report: An 18 month-old girl suddenly became cyanotic during playing and lost consciousness. Resuscitation was ineffective. Post-mortem examination showed diffuse pulmonary edema and multiple small pulmonary emboli. There was a myxoma of the septal wall of pulmonary infundibulum and histological examination showed that the infundibulum and the pulmonary valve were completely infiltrated by myxoid tissue.
Conclusion: The death of this girl was probably due to a sudden embolism of blood clots developed in contact with the myxoma. This case emphasizes the need for pathologic investigation in all cases of sudden death.