A Tricuspid Valve Mass Attached to Papillary Muscle

Cardiac myxoma is the most common benign heart tumor which can arise in any of the cardiac chambers, valves or related great veins. Diagnosis of a myxoma arising from the tricuspid valve apparatus is exceptional. We present a rare case of myxoma in a tricuspid valve attached to papillary muscle.

A 45-year-old man was referred to our center for the evaluation dyspnea and chest pain. During work-up by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), a mass was found on the corda tendinea of the anterior papillary muscle of the tricuspid valve. Coronary angiography revealed normal coronary artery. During open heart surgery, an oval and non-pedunculated mass was detected on tricuspid corda tendinea and resected. Pathological examination revealed the presence of a myxoma.

This experience illustrates a rare case of myxoma which originated from tricuspid corda tendinea, diagnosed by echocardiography, suggesting fibroelastoma. However, the mass was not clear enough but dyspnea and sign and symptom of probably embolization to lung urged us to treat it surgically. No complications attributable to the mass developed in the postoperative course. In the first year of follow-up, non-recurrence of the mass was detected on TEE, and the patient was asymptomatic.