[Intravital diagnosis of left-atrial tumors--a clinical problem]

It is reported on a myxoma of the left atrium in a 44-year-old female. A diagnosing of the tumors intra vitam was not successful, the patient died under the signs of the severe apoplectic insult. Autoptically the myxoma with multiple arterial embolisation was proved. The author deals with the difficulties of diagnosing in life-time, the clinical main symptoms of atrial tumours and differential-diagnostic viewpoints are mentioned. As a matter of principle a successful diagnosis and therapy in this disease are nowadays possible, the importance of thinking of that fact in adequate symptomatology is emphasized.