Abstract
The majority of cardiac myxomas (75–80%) are located within the left atrium, characteristically originating from the mid-portion of the atrial septum by a narrow stalk; The detection of such a feature has paramount importance for the diagnosis of myxoma ; in fact other anatomical findings as sessile implantation or other locations may be common to other cadiac tumors. Two dimensional (2D) transthoracic (TT) and transesophageal(TE) echocardiography E and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are mainstay in the diagnosis; It has been reported that Three dimensional(3D) E and in particular the 2D orthogonal cross sectional planes generated by electronically sectioning the 3D volume, could correctly identify the attachment and the peduncle sometimes missed by other imaging modality and therefore lead to a correct diagnosis.
Purpose of our study was to assess the usefulness of 3DE in the detection of the mainstay anatomical features of the cardiac myxomas;
We retrospectively reviewed all the case of the myxomas with pathology confirmation that underwent 2D TEE, 3D TEE and MRI in the past 5 years in order to assess the ability of the techniques in identifying the following anatomical features: site of attachment (mid atrial septum, other locations ) , modality of attachment (pedunculated or sessile); Every study was reviewed by an expert reader.
Our study group is comprised by 7 patients, 6 female, mean age 48.8 ±9.7 with 12 myxomas ; 8 located in the left atrium 3 in the right atrium ; In 6 case was the first diagnosis , in one patient was a recurrence. 9 mixomas were in the left atrium , 3 in the right atrium. & were pedunculated, 5 sessile.
There was an agreement in detecting the anatomical features except in two patients
in a one patients the attachment by a peduncle in the atrial septum close to the opening of the left upper pulmonary vein was seen only by 3DE ; in a second patient a small myxoma close to the left atrial appendage was detected only by TEE ;
Until now few reports have described the uselfuness of three dimensional echocardiography in detecting the anatomical features of cardiac myxomas. Even though MRI is the only technique able to detect perfusion of a mass otherwise it is not able to distinguish among different tumors; therefore the visualization of the anatomical features may lead a more correct diagnosis that can help in a better therapeutical and surgical plan. In our study 3DE was the only technique able to correctly depict the mainstay anatomical features of cardiac myxomas. It was possible in particular by using the 2D cross sectional planes generated by electronically sectioning the 3D volume in a case of a small peduncle attached in an uncommon location of the interatrial septum.
All the techniques are reliable in assessing the anatomical features of myxomas however 3DE could have an additional value in particular in not common location and will compliment 2D imaging in cardiac myxoma diagnosis
Three dimensional echocardiographic imaging of multiple recurrent myxomas