Cardiac myxomas are the most common benign cardiac neoplasms. Echocardiography is the first-line imaging modality used to analyze cardiac masses, allowing the detection of tumor location, size, and mobility. However, additional imaging techniques are required to confirm the diagnosis, evaluate tissue characteristics of the mass, and assess potential invasion of surrounding structures. Second-line imaging includes cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or computed tomography (CT) depending on availability and the patient\'s characteristics and preferences. The advantages of CT include its wide availability and fast scanning, which allows good image quality even in patients who have difficulty cooperating. MRI has excellent soft-tissue resolution and is the gold standard technique for noninvasive tissue characterization. In some cases, evaluation of the tumor metabolism using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with CT may be useful, mainly if the differential diagnosis includes primary or metastatic cardiac malignancies. A cardiac myxoma can be identified by its characteristic location within the atria, typically in the left atrium attached to the interatrial septum. The main differential diagnoses include physiological structures in the atria like crista terminalis in the right atrium and the coumadin ridge in the left atrium, intracardiac thrombi, as well as other benign and malignant cardiac tumors. In this review paper, we describe the characteristics of cardiac myxomas identified using multimodality imaging and provide tips on how to differentiate myxomas from other cardiac masses.

Generally, sarcomas arising from benign soft tissue are rare. Cardiac myxoma (CM) is a benign tumor, and few reports have described its malignant transformation. Herein, we documented a case of an 89-year-old man with prostate cancer and a five-year history of a right atrium tumor without Carney complex. The tumor was resected surgically and had a myxomatous or gelatinous appearance. Microscopically, the tumor had two components: a sarcomatous area and myxomatous area. In the myxomatous area, typical myxoma cells were demonstrable and were strongly immunoreactive for immunohistochemistry (IHC) of calretinin. In the sarcomatous area, the epithelioid- to spindle-shaped cells with prominent atypia proliferated densely. The IHC profile of cells in the sarcomatous area was different from that of cells in the myxomatous area; MDM2-positive cells were found only in the sarcomatous area. Especially, the Ki-67 index and number of p53-positive cells in the sarcomatous area were higher than those in the myxomatous area. The transition of the two components was seamless. Thus, we made a diagnosis of CM with malignant transformation corresponding to undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas. This case suggests that CM may transform into sarcoma, albeit rarely.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac myxomas are the most common type of primary cardiac tumors in adults, but they can have variable features that make them difficult to diagnose. We report two cases of atrial myxoma with calcification or ossification, which are rare pathological subgroups of myxoma.
METHODS: A 47-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man presented to our hospital with different symptoms. Both patients had a history of chronic diseases. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a mass in the left or right atrium, respectively, with strong echogenicity and echogenic shadows. The masses were suspected to be malignant tumors with calcification or ossification. Contrast transthoracic echocardiography(cTEE) showed low blood supply within the lesions. The patients underwent surgical resection of the atrial mass, and the pathology confirmed myxoma with partial ossification or massive calcification.
CONCLUSIONS: We report two rare cases of atrial myxoma with calcification or ossification and analyze their ultrasonographic features. Transthoracic echocardiography and cTEE can provide valuable information for the diagnosis and management of such mass. However, distinguishing calcification and ossification in myxoma from calcification in malignant tumors is challenging. More studies are needed to understand the pathogenesis and imaging characteristics of these myxoma variants.

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare, idiopathic, progressive, obstructive, vasculopathy affecting primarily the terminal portions of the intracerebral internal carotid arteries, typically at the base of the brain. It is more commonly seen in people of East Asian descent. The moyamoya phenomenon refers to the characteristic appearance of the tangle of fine blood vessels, also described as a puff of smoke. Moyamoya syndrome (MMS) refers to the constriction-induced chronic brain ischemia that is believed to cause overexpression of proangiogenic factors, creating a fragile network of collateral capillaries. MMS refers to the moyamoya phenomenon in the presence of other congenital or acquired disorders. Intracerebral hemorrhage is the leading cause of death for MMS patients. Overall, the prognosis is variable. Cardiac myxoma can cause embolization of tumor cells, plaques, and thrombus, and recurrent thromboembolism can lead to chronic brain ischemia, which can lead to the development of collaterals. There have been cases reported where the moyamoya phenomenon resolved following myxoma resection. Here, we present the case of a female who had intraventricular bleeding and was diagnosed with MMD. Eighteen months later, she presented with shortness of breath and was diagnosed with cardiac myxoma with multiple valvular regurgitations. The myxoma was surgically removed.

Cardiac myxoma is the most common primary cardiac tumor in adults. The histogenesis and cellular composition of myxoma are still unclear. This study aims to reveal the role of myxoma cell components and their gene expression in tumor development. We obtained single living cells by enzymatic digestion of tissues from 4 cases of surgically resected cardiac myxoma. Of course, there was 1 case of glandular myxoma and 3 cases of nonglandular myxoma. Then, 10× single-cell sequencing was performed. We identified 12 types and 11 types of cell populations in glandular myxoma and nonglandular myxoma, respectively. Heterogeneous epithelial cells are the main components of glandular myxoma. The similarities and differences in T cells in both glandular and nonglandular myxoma were analyzed by KEGG and GO. The most important finding was that there was active communication between T cells and epithelial cells. These results clarify the possible tissue occurrence and heterogeneity of cardiac myxoma and provide a theoretical basis and guidance for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Renal embolisms due to cardiac myxomas are extremely rare; the clinical course, treatment, and prognosis of this disease are not established. A 69-year-old Japanese woman who underwent a nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma 3 years earlier was hospitalized with a right occipital lobe cerebral infarction. Her renal function suddenly worsened 3 days post-admission: her serum creatinine rose from 1.46 mg/dL to 6.57 mg/dL and then to 8.03 mg/dL the next day, and hemodialysis therapy was started. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans showed patchy non-contrasted low-density areas in the right kidney, and chest CT scans and transesophageal ultrasonography revealed a left atrial tumor. We diagnosed renal infarction due to a left atrial myxoma. Hemodialysis and anticoagulant therapy (heparin) were continued, followed by the cardiac myxoma\'s resection. The patient\'s renal function gradually improved post-surgery, and the hemodialysis was discontinued. Considering our patient and 19 other case reports of renal infarction associated with cardiac myxoma, the treatment for such a renal infarction and the outcomes differ depending on the embolus site. The poor outcome of abdominal aortic embolism requires a prompt embolectomy, whereas a branch renal artery embolism requires anticoagulation therapy to prevent thrombosis formation around the myxoma.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac myxomas present a diagnostic challenge due to their ability to mimic various cardiovascular and systemic conditions. Timely identification is crucial for implementing surgical intervention and averting life-threatening complications.
METHODS: We reported the case of a 49-year-old male patient who presented sudden legs weakness and slurred speech and was admitted 10 h later in emergency department. Physical examination was significant for paraparesis and paraphasia. Cardiac and carotid auscultation was normal. CT brain revealed multiple acute ischemic strokes and MRA was suggestive of cerebral vasculitis. As pre-therapy assessment, the EKG revealed no electrical abnormalities and the chest X-ray showed signs of left atrial enlargement. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography showed a left atrial mass attached to the interatrial septum, measuring 9*5*4 cm and extending into the left ventricular cavity during diastole, which suggested the diagnosis of left atrial myxoma. The patient was referred for open-heart surgery and histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of myxoma. The patient weaned off from cardiopulmonary bypass and the postoperative period was uneventful.
CONCLUSIONS: We reported an interesting case with an unusual and misleading neurological presentation of a cardiac myxoma. The unpredictability of serious complications occurrence must awaken our medical flair, for an early diagnosis among a long list of differentials.

Atrial myxomas are typically found in the left atrium and are the most common among overall rare cardiac tumors. Herein, we describe the clinical course of a 72-year-old female with non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma found to have an atrial mass during an imaging for evaluation for lung cancer progression. Differentiating between distinct types of masses can pose a challenge to the treatment team especially in the setting of exiting malignancy. This case demonstrates the complex decision making involved in the diagnosis, and timing of intervention to remove atrial mass in patients with frailty and a fast-growing cardiac mass.

An increasing number of cases of cerebral embolism caused by cardiac myxoma have been reported. However, cerebral infarction caused by different types of emboli obstructing different vascular regions within a short period of time has not been reported. This is the first report to histologically confirm cerebral infarctions independently caused by thrombus and myxomatous embolus in a patient with cardiac myxoma within a period of 23 days. The first cerebral infarction was due to embolization of thrombus to the right middle cerebral artery, whereas the second was due to embolization of tissue from a mucinous tumor to the left middle cerebral artery. Both cerebral infarctions underwent mechanical thrombectomy, but unfortunately, we ultimately failed to save the patient\'s life. Therefore, further attention should be paid to the surgical resection and treatment of cardiac myxoma.

Pediatric pulmonary embolism occurs in 8.6-57 per 100,000 hospitalised children. We report a novel case of bilateral pulmonary emboli in a child presenting with dyspnoea who was found to have large right ventricular myxoma and subsequent diagnosis of Carney complex. After resection of the right ventricular myxoma and bilateral pulmonary embolectomy, she had a full recovery and an excellent outcome.