Tricuspid valve obstruction and right heart failure due to a giant right atrial myxoma arising from the superior vena cava

Abstract

Myxomas are the most common primary cardiac tumors. The cardiac myxomas are mostly diagnosed within the atria, and only a few such tumors are reported to have arisen from atrioventricular valves or pulmonary vessels. The authors here present a case of 59-year-old Chinese woman who was hospitalized for exacerbating symptoms of tricuspid stenosis and right heart failure. Echocardiography revealed a giant right atrial myxoma arising from an extremely rare site, the anterior wall of the superior vena cava. With the aid of transesophageal echocardiography, the surgical resection was performed successfully with the patient achieving complete recovery. © 2013 Xiao et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.