[Left auricular myxoma and myocardial infarction]

The authors report the case of a 40 year old man with a postero-inferior myocardial infarction. Echocardiography showed a large left atrial myxoma. Coronary angiography performed 20 days after the onset of infarction was completely normal. The tumour was successfully removed surgically. The authors review the literature of this rare association (20 reported cases) which were commonly observed since the widespread use of echocardiography and coronary angiography. These investigations have improved the understanding of the physiopathology of this association. One of the possible hypotheses of diastolic mitral obstruction by the tumour was the probable mechanism of infarction in this case due to prolonged impaired coronary filling due to low cardiac output.