Myxoma

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**Myxoma**
*Classifications and external resources*
ICD-10	D 15.1
ICD-9	212.7
ICD-O:	8840/0
OMIM	255960
DiseasesDB	30736
eMedicine	med/186

A myxoma (Myxo- = Latin for mucus) is the most common primary tumor of the heart. Myxomas are usually located in either the left or right atrium of the heart; about 86 percent occur in the left atrium.<ref>Knepper LE, Biller J, Adams HP Jr, Bruno A. Neurologic manifestations of atrial myxoma. A 12-year experience and review. Stroke. 1988 Nov;19(11):1435-40. (Medline abstract)</ref>

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.

The phrase "myxomatous degeneration" refers to the process in which connective tissue becomes filled with mucus. However, the word "myxoma" is rarely used outside of the context of the cardiac skeleton.

1 Diagnosis
2 Symptoms
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Diagnosis

It is most seen on echocardiography, as a pedunculated mass that is heterogeneous in appearance.

The differential diagnosis include other cardiac tumors such as lipomas and rhabdomyomas. 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 can help non-invasively diagnose cardiac tumors.

[edit] Symptoms

Symptoms associated with cardiac myxomas are typically due to the effect of the mass of the tumor obstructing the normal flow of blood within the chambers of the heart.

Some symptoms of myxoma may be associated with the release of interleukin 6 (IL-6) by the myxoma.<ref name="Seino-IL6">Seino Y, Ikeda U, Shimada K. (1993). "Increased expression of interleukin 6 mRNA in cardiac myxomas.". Br Heart J 69 (6): 565-7. PMID 8343326.</ref><ref name="Jourdan-IL6">Jourdan M, Bataille R, Seguin J, Zhang XG, Chaptal PA, Klein B (1990). "Constitutive production of interleukin-6 and immunologic features in cardiac myxomas.". Arthritis Rheum 33 (3): 398-402. PMID 1690543.</ref> High levels of IL-6 may be associated with a higher risk of embolism of the myxoma.<ref name="Wada-IL6">Wada A, Kanda t, Hayashi R, et al. (1993). "Cardiac myxoma metastasized to the brain: potential role of endogenous interleukin-6." 83 (3): 208-11. PMID 8281536.</ref>