Minithoracotomy for Surgical Excision of a Rare Cardiac Myxoma With Cystic Degeneration

Myxoma is the most benign common heart tumor, usually with a soft, gelatinous appearance and without a cystic structure.

A 52-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with dyspnea, palpitations, and dizziness. Imaging explorations revealed a solid tumor implanted in the interatrial septum with a cystic appendix prolapsed into the left ventricle along the mitral valve. A right minithoracotomy was performed to remove the tumor. Pathology revealed a cardiac myxoma.

The differential diagnosis of cystic tumors of the heart includes cardiac hydatidosis, cystic tumor of the atrioventricular node (sui generis location), and myxoma with cystic degeneration (usually implanted in the interatrial septum). Sternotomy is the standard surgical approach; however, minithoracotomy is recently being used as a less invasive approach with good survival results and low recurrence rates.

Cystic images can be observed in cardiac myxoma. Minithoracotomy is a safe approach for the resection of cardiac myxoma.