Sudden Death Due to Left Atrial Myxoma.

Choi, Minsung; Park, Jong Hyeok; Ha, Hongil; Choi, Young Shik

Case Report

Korean Journal of Legal Medicine 2011;35(2):169-173.
Published online November 30, 2011.

Sudden Death Due to Left Atrial Myxoma.

Minsung Choi, Jong Hyeok Park, Hongil Ha, Young Shik Choi

Division of Forensic Medicine, National Forensic Service, Seoul, Korea. sanchee@korea.kr

Abstract

The primary tumor of the heart is rare and the myxoma is the most common primary cardiac tumor. Sudden death due to cardiac myxoma is mainly with atrial myxoma, tumor embolization, or obstruction of blood flow at the mitral or tricuspid valve. Thus it appears that histologically benign but potentially lethal. This report describes an unusual cause of sudden unexpected death and the autopsy findings for a 51-years-old woman with left atrial myxoma. She complained fatigue and weight loss during 1 year, without dyspnea or other systemic symptoms. On autopsy, the left atrium is slightly enlarged as ball-shaped. Opening it, a smooth surfaced pale, round and lobulated mass is found, attached on left atrial septum. On cut section, it is dark brown to dark red colored with gelatinous appearance, and shows focal interstitial fibrosis, calcification and hemorrhage. We present a case diagnosed at post-mortem of an left atrial myxoma without any informations of clinical symptoms. The cardiac myxoma must considered for cause of sudden death to cardiac problem.

Key Words: myxoma, heart, death, sudden