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The Radiographic Aspects of Right Ventricular Myxoma

1964; Wiley; Volume: 37; Issue: 438 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1259/0007-1285-37-438-468

1748-880X

Andrew B. Crummy, Florencio A. Hipona,

Cardiac tumors and thrombi

Primary cardiac neoplasms are extremely rare, their incidence having been established as 0·0017 per cent in necropsy material (Straus and Merliss, 1945). The most common primary cardiac tumour is myxoma. Approximately 75 per cent of these lesions arise in the left atrium in the region of the fossa ovalis. The majority of the remaining 25 per cent originate from a similar position in the right atrium (Landing and Farber, 1956). Only ten cases of ventricular myxoma have been reported, four arising from the right and six from the left side (Gottsegen, Wessely, Arvay and Tomesvari, 1963). Until recent years cardiac tumours have seldom been diagnosed ante-mortem. They are now an important clinical entity because treatment is available. The purpose of this communication is to emphasise the role of radiology in the diagnosis of a case of right ventricular myxoma. This 21-year-old white female patient was admitted for cardiac catheterisation in January, 1963. Review of her hospital record showed that her physical examination at birth and at six weeks of age were unremarkable. A cardiac murmur was first detected at the age of 13 years when she had a school physical examination. At the age of 19, at the time of a pre-employment examination, she was asymptomatic and had a normal blood pressure and pulse. The heart was normal in size. The heart sounds were normal in intensity and quality.