Left Atrial Pressure Curve in Left Atrial Myxoma

Left intra-atrial myxoma was first diagnosed and demonstrated during life by Steinberg and Dotter¹ and left intra-atrial thrombus by Soloff and Zatuchni.² Both groups used the technique of intravenous angiocardiography to demonstrate a filling defect within the left atrium. Thrombi are usually attached to the posterior wall or lie free within the left atrium, whereas myxomas are usually attached to the atrial septum near the fossa ovalis.³ Nevertheless, the one cannot always be differentiated from the other; nor is this technique of angiocardiography always infallible. Fortunately, differentiation is not necessary because both require surgery under direct vision for cure. Such cures are being reported with increased frequency since the advent of the pump oxygenator.⁴

Recently Fish, Takaro, and Crymes⁵ described a left intra-atrial pressure curve which they considered characteristic of left intra-atrial myxoma. Our purpose is to report another instance of such a tumor with