Atrial myxoma - right

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Heart, section through the middle

Atrial myxoma - right

Symptoms:

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Right atrial myxomas rarely produce symptoms until they have grown to be at least 13 cm (about 5 inches) in diameter. Symptoms may occur at any time, although they typically accompany changes in body position. Symptoms may include the following:

Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- on exertion
- when lying down (orthopnea)
- when asleep (paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea)
Dizziness
Fatigue, tiredness
Fainting (syncope)
Sensation of feeling the heart beat (palpitations)
Swelling of the feet, legs, or any body part (edema)
Swelling of the abdomen
Prominent veins in the neck

Other possible symptoms include:

Chest pain or tightness
Cough
Fever
Involuntary weight loss of more than 5% of body weight
General discomfort (malaise)
Joint pain
Blueness (cyanosis) of skin
- especially fingers
- with cold or emotional stress
Curvature of nails accompanied with soft tissue enlargement (clubbing) of fingers
Awakening at night to urinate (nocturia)

Signs and tests:

You may have signs of right-sided heart failure such as swollen legs or abdomen or distended neck veins. Examination of the heart with a stethoscope (auscultation) may reveal a "tumor plop" (a sound related to movement of the tumor) or other abnormal sounds.

Some of the symptoms and signs in right atrial myxoma may be caused by tricuspid stenosis (an obstruction of the valve that separates the right atrium and the right ventricle).

Right atrial myxoma may show on these tests:

An ECG may show atrial fibrillation. A CBC may show anemia and increased WBCs (white blood cells). The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is increased.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).