Atrial myxoma

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Heart, front view

Heart, section through the middle

Left atrial myxoma

Symptoms may occur at any time, but most often they accompany a change of body position. Symptoms may include:

• Shortness of breath with activity
• Breathing difficulty when lying flat
• Breathing difficulty when asleep
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Sensation of feeling your heart beat (palpitations)
• Chest pain or tightness

The symptoms and signs of left atrial myxomas often mimic mitral stenosis.

General symptoms may also be present, such as:

• Cough
• Fever
• Involuntary weight loss
• General discomfort (malaise)
• Joint pain
• Blueness of skin , especially the fingers (Raynaud's phenomenon)
• Fingers that change color upon pressure or with cold or stress
• Curvature of nails accompanied with soft tissue enlargement (clubbing) of the fingers
• Swelling - any part of the body

These general symptoms may also mimic those of infective endocarditis.

The health care provider will listen to the heart with stethoscope. A "tumor plop" (a sound related to movement of the tumor), abnormal heart sounds, or murmur may be heard. These sounds may change when the patient changes position.

Right atrial myxomas rarely produce symptoms until they have grown to be at least 13 cm (about 5 inches) wide.

Tests may include:

• Echocardiogram
• Doppler study
• Chest x-ray
• CT scan of chest
• Heart MRI
• Left heart angiography
• Right heart angiography
• ECG -- may show atrial fibrillation

Blood tests:

A CBC may show anemia and increased WBCs (white blood cells). The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is increased.

Review Date: 07/24/2006
Reviewed By: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.