[Diagnosis, therapy and longterm results of atrial myxoma (author's transl)]

Refering to a case report of five patients with atrial myxoma the symptoms, diagnosis, and therapy of this disease were described. In one case a biatrial tumor was found. In four cases atrial myxoma imitated a mitral-valve disease. An elevated BSR was found in all patients. The non invasive diagnostic procedure of ultrasound-echocardiography led in the last two cases to the correct diagnosis before heart-catheterization. The diagnosis was ascertained in all cases by angiocardiography. If left atrial tumor is suspected transpulmonary laevocardiography can be considered as a save diagnostic procedure better than the direct injection into the left atrium after transseptal puncture. Even the left ventricular angiogram in right anterior oblique position led in four of the five cases to the diagnosis of left atrial tumor. Coronary-angiography was performed in three patients and revealed pathologic atrial vessels in all three cases. Immediate operation is the indicated therapy. Two of the five patients were reviewed over a eight year period after operation without any signs of recurrence of the tumor.