A 47-year-old woman has new-onset transient right arm weakness and word finding difficulty
symptoms lasting 3 hours. She is also experiencing exertional dyspnea, and had a syncopal event 1 month ago. Her echocardiogram reveals a cardiac tumor in the left atrium, it is pendunculated and attached to the endocardium. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this lesion?
(A) myxoma
(B) sarcoma
© rhabdomyoma
(D) fibroma
(E) lipoma
explanation
(A) The myxoma is a solitary globular or polypoid tumor varying in size from that of a
cherry to a peach. About 75% are found in the left atrium, and most of the remainder in the
right atrium. The clinical presentation is with one or more of the classical triad of constitution
symptoms (fatigue, fever, anemia), embolic events, or obstruction of the valve orifice.