Right Atrial Myxomata

Right atrial myxoma is a great imitator of other more common cardiovascular and systemic disease processes. Early detection is extremely important since operative removal can result in the cure of a potentially lethal condition. Unfortunately, general experience has shown that early detection is unusual. This occurs for several reasons: (1) right atrial myxoma is an uncommon lesion; (2) auscultatory and hemodynamic findings frequently are nonspecific; and (3) if uncalcified, roentgenologic findings are nondiagnostic. Therefore, the purposes of reporting the clinical, roentgenologic, and hemodynamic findings in two patients with right atrial myxoma are threefold: (1) to indicate the auscultatory findings which aid in diagnosis of this condition; (2) to report the first recognized deformity of the right ventricular pressure pulse similar to that which has been described as occurring on the left ventricular pulse in patients with left atrial myxomata; and (3) to emphasize the importance of cardiac fluoroscopy in patients