Cor Vasa 2017, 59(6):e557-e561 | DOI: 10.1016/j.crvasa.2017.01.008

Pulmonary valvular and pulmonary arterial myxomas

Shi-Min Yuan

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The First Hospital of Putian, Teaching Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Putian, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China

Background: Cardiac myxomas are rarely arising from the pulmonary valve or pulmonary artery.

Materials and methods: An extensive literature search generated 22 articles with 22 patients, which were taken as the material of this comprehensive review.

Results: Most patients manifested as circulatory system symptoms. A heart murmur was noted in 17 (94.4%) patients. Pulmonary valve and pulmonary artery myxoma was misdiagnosed in 4 (22.2%) patients. Pulmonary myxoma was misdiagnosed in 5 (22.7%) patients. It was misdiagnosed as pulmonary valve stenosis in 2 (40%), as pulmonary artery embolism in 2 (40%), and as pulmonary valve vegetation or cardiac tumor in 1 (20%) patient. A moving mass on echo or a filling defect on computed tomography can be helpful in the establishment of the diagnosis.

Conclusions: An early surgical treatment upon diagnosis is made due to the potentials of hemodynamic disturbances and predilection of embolization. Most patients have a good prognosis following surgical treatment. The mortality rate of this patient setting can be as high as 35.7%.

Keywords: Cardiac surgical procedures; Differential diagnosis; Myxoma; Pulmonary artery; Pulmonary valve

Received: November 2, 2016; Revised: January 9, 2017; Accepted: January 10, 2017; Published: December 1, 2017  Show citation