Myxoma

Myxoma
Micrograph of an atrial myxoma. H&E stain.
Classification and external resources
Specialty	oncology
ICD-10	D21.9
ICD-9-CM	212.7
ICD-O	M8840/0
OMIM	255960
DiseasesDB	30736
eMedicine	med/186
MeSH	D009232
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A myxoma (New Latin from Greek 'muxa' for mucus) is a myxoid tumor of primitive connective tissue. It is the most common primary tumor of the heart in adults, but can also occur in other locations.

Myxomas are usually located in either the left or right atrium of the heart; about 86 percent occur in the left atrium.

Myxomas are typically pedunculated, with a stalk that is attached to the interatrial septum. The most common location for attachment of the stalk is the fossa ovalis region of the interatrial septum.

An atrial myxoma may create an extra heart sound, audible to auscultation just after S2 It is most seen on echocardiography, as a pedunculated mass that is heterogeneous in appearance. A left atrial myxoma will cause an increase in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure.

The differential diagnosis include other cardiac tumors such as lipomas and rhabdomyomas (and rarely teratomas). These other tumors of the heart are typically not pedunculated, however, and are more likely to infiltrate the muscle of the heart. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help non-invasively diagnose cardiac tumors. However, diagnosis usually requires examination of a tissue sample by a pathologist.

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Wikipedia