Primary and secondry right atrial tumors detected by echocardiography

Abstract

The efficacy of echocardiography in the diagnosis of left heart tumors is well established. To date, however, only a small number of right atrial tumors (1 -5) and right ventricular tumors (6-7) have been described. Three cases are presented in which echocardiography detected a tumor in the right atrium. These cases emphasize the usefulness of this technique in the noninvasive examination of the right heart. Patient 1A 60 year old white female who had been found to have rheumatoid arthritis in 1968 presented in 1974 with rightsided stabbing pain in the lower anterior thorax and occasional sharp epigastric discomfort. These symptoms were associated with anorexia, intermittent sweating and fever,, weakness, easy fatigability, and mild shortness of breath. On examination a pericardial friction rub was heard. A diagnosis of pericarditis was made. The patient was treated with prednisone and isoniazid; however, these symptoms persisted for 1 2 months and the patient was eventually referred to this institution for further evaluation.Clinical examination on admission revealed typical cushingoid facies. Both wrists and hands displayed changes compatible with chronic rheumatoid arthritis. She demonstrated regular sinus rhythm and the jugular venous pressure was not raised. No murmurs were present. A pericardial friction rub was ausculted at the left sternal border. The heart was not enlarged.An echocardiogram was performed using a Unirad echograph and a 2.25 MHz focused transducer (13 mm diameter). A strip chart recording was obtained with a Tektronix recorder (B141619). The echocardiogram (Fig. 1) demonstrated multiple echoes behind the anterior tricuspid leaflet during ventricular diastole, compatible with the presence of a right atrial mass.Subsequent cardiac catheterization and injeccava (Fig. 2) demonstrated a large mass residing within the right atrium and prolapsing into the

Rare right ventricular myxoma detected incidentally on a FAST examination

“…[15][16][17] Our case demonstrates the potential importance of looking above the diaphragm during a FAST scan or a routine abdominal sonogram, especially in patients who are critically ill. Besides hemopericardium, such examination may reveal a latent heart condition.…”