Cardiac myxomas as great imitators: A rare case series and review of the literature

Myxoma is the most common type of primary cardiac tumors, accounting for 50%-80% of them. Cardiac myxomas are difficult to detect due to the lack of specific signs and symptoms and even benign tumors can cause serious consequences. Cardiac failure, atrio-ventricular valve obstruction or the embolization phenomenon can quietly occur in patients with cardiac myxomas. Here, we report three extraordinary cases, each of which vary in the first symptom. One case involved a 66-year-old man who had no underlying heart disease but suddenly developed chest tightness and got out of breath after exercising. One case was a 36-year-old young woman with a two-year history of low blood pressure but suddenly suffered a stroke. The third case was a 42-year-old middle-aged woman who accidentally discovered a cardiac myxoma during the diagnosis and treatment of acute pancreatitis. Echocardiography revealed huge masses floating in their atriums. Under general anesthesia, all the patients underwent open-heart surgery and hematoxylin and eosin–stained sections of the samples confirmed myxomas. Although most patients with cardiac myxomas lack of specific systemic symptoms, typical myxomas are relatively easy to diagnose. There are currently no effective medical therapeutic to inhibit tumor growth and surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment, which prevents a dreaded complication resulted from systemic and pulmonary embolisms.