Right atrial myxoma in a child

D. L. Burech, D. W. Teske and R. E. Haynes

A 12-year-old girl with fatigability, dyspnea, variable murmurs, and chronic congestive failure was treated for chronic myocarditis with medical management for 16 months. Cardiac catheterization and angiography performed to rule out constrictive pericarditis disclosed a right atrial myxoma. Following removal of the mass, this patient became asymptomatic. Since right atrial myxoma rarely occurs in children and can mimic other diseases, the diagnosis depends on a high index of suspicion.