Atrial Fibrillation, the First Manifestation of Atrial Myxoma

Introduction: Atrial myxomas are the most common primary heart tumors. Although quite rare, left atrial myxomas account for 80% of all cardiac tumors. Diagnosis is often difficult due to the wide array of presenting symptoms. This case report discusses an unusual presentation of left atrial myxoma in an elderly patient.
Case presentation: A 73-year old woman with a history of hypertension, dyslipidemia and hyperthyroidism treatment presented to the emergency department with a new onset episode of palpitations. The electrocardiogram revealed atrial fibrillation. Rate control was achieved with beta-blockers and sinus rhythm transition was achieved shortly after admission. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a heterogeneous mass in the left atria with a villous surface, occupying more than 50% of the left atrial cavity. Surgery was recommended because of the embolic potential of such a mass and tumor excision was performed. Microscopic pathology showed typical histological features of cardiac myxoma with no atypia or malignancy, and the patient was discharged in sinus rhythm 7 days after surgery.
Discussion and conclusions: Left atrial myxoma presenting in the seventh decade of life is rare. Elderly patients often present with non- specific symptoms that are often overlooked in the absence of a supporting cardiac history, which makes an early diagnosis challenging. We conclude that the majority of myxomas mimic many cardiovascular diseases and were detected in symptomatic patients, so a high index of clinical suspicion is important for its early and correct diagnosis. Two-dimensional echocardiography provides substantial advantages in detecting intracardiac tumors.