Right atrial myxoma: An unusual cause of clinical right heart failure.
Moncy Jacob OOMMEN 1, Nassar LUQMAN 1, Ghazala KAFEEL 2, Terence CHIN Kah 3, Chee Fui CHONG 3, 4
1 Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, RIPAS Hospital, 2 Department of Histopathology, RIPAS Hospital, 3 Gleneagles JPMC Cardiac Centre, Jerudong Park, and 4 Thoracic Unit, Department of Surgery, RIPAS Hospital, Brunei Darussalam.
ABSTRACT
Myxomas are the most common type of primary cardiac tumour with 86% occurring in the left atrium. Right atrial myxomas is far less common. Patients usually present with progressive dyspnoea, fever,
weight loss, right-sided heart failure, or pulmonary embolisation. We report the case of a 55-year-old man who presented with progressive dyspnoea and signs of right heart failure secondary to a large
right atrial myxoma, which was diagnosed with a bedside transthoracic echocardiogram. This was successfully removed surgically.
Keywords: Atrial myxomas, dyspnoea, right atrium, right heart failure, outcome, treatment
Correspondence author: Moncy OOMMEN, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, RIPAS Hospital, Bandar Seri Begawan BA 1710, Brunei Darussalam.
Tel: +673 2242424
E mail: drmoncyoommen@hotmail.com
Brunei Int Med J. 2012; 8 (1): 52-55