Myxoma is a noncancerous tumour that arises from connective tissue — the tissue that connects and supports other tissues all over the body. Myxomas are found in the heart.

Myxoma is a benign cardiac tumour. Cardiac tumours are 1% of all body tumours, benign or malignant. Of all cardiac tumours, 95–97% of cases are myxoma tumours.

Cardiac myxoma tumour
Left atrial myxoma — the commonest benign tumour of the heart.

They arise in any of the four chambers of the heart, most commonly the left atrium — it is called left atrial myxoma. Sometimes they may be present in more than one chamber of the heart. Common presentation symptoms are low grade fever, fainting attacks or breathlessness, or embolic episodes where they get dislodged to different parts of the body.

Causes

What causes a myxoma?

Benign tumours occur when cells in the body grow and divide at an excessive rate, without invading other tissues. In general there is no clear underlying cause. Often it is a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors that can contribute to the development of myxoma.

Presentation

Signs and symptoms of myxoma

Clinical presentations of myxoma can vary widely depending on the location and size of the tumour.

  • Fainting
  • Build up of blood in the lungs / excess fluid in lungs
  • Dyspnoea, difficulty in breathing, pulmonary oedema
  • Enlargement of liver & spleen
  • Swelling of legs (oedema)
  • Brain stroke
  • Atrial fibrillation

Diagnosis & treatment

Echocardiography, MRI and surgical excision

Diagnosis is by echocardiography and cardiac MRI.

Treatment is surgical excision by open heart surgery. Surgery is highly successful and the recurrence rate is very low, under 1%. An important observation and guidance: once the diagnosis of a myxoma tumour is made, it should be operated as early as possible to avoid high chances of breaking and embolisation of this fragile, jelly-like tumour, which can cause serious complications like paralysis.

  • 95–97%Of all cardiac tumours
  • <1%Recurrence after excision
  • Left atriumCommonest location
  • EarlySurgery advised

To contact a myxoma specialist, write to info@drpavankumar.in or call 9820160600.