Medica Jadertina, Vol. 43 No. 1-2, 2013.
Professional paper
Background of extreme weight loss and weakness - right atrial myxoma
Tonći Batinić
; Split University Hospital, Department of Radiology
Cristijan Bulat
; Split University Hospital, Division of Cardiac surgery
Svjetlana Karabuva
; Split University Hospital, Division of Cardiology
Dražen Zekanović
; General Hospital Zadar, Department of Cardiology
Zorislav Šušak
; General Hospital Zadar, Department of Cardiology
Damir Bonacin
; Split University Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Vedran Carević
; Split University Hospital, Department of Cardiology
Damir Fabijanić
orcid.org/0000-0002-4199-3905
; Split University Hospital, Department of Cardiology
Abstract
A 63-year-old man was admitted in hospital because of extreme weight loss (about 20 kg within 6 months), weakness, fatigue, exertional dyspnea, periods of hacking cough, and laboratory disturbances (elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, increased C-reactive protein values, disturbances in the protein electrophoresis), with no proper etiology. Before admission he was extensively examined due to the commonest reasons for the mentioned symptoms – occult malignancy, hematological, autoimmune, and infectious diseases. Since extensive diagnostic evaluation performed before hospitalization showed no discrepancies, we suspected a cardiac myxoma. Echocardiography revealed a large tumor in the right atrium.
The histology of surgically removed tumor revealed a cardiac myxoma. Five months later, his body mass increased by 15 kg. The patient remains well, with normal echocardiographic and laboratory findings. Our case suggests that echocardiography should be considered early in the examination of patients with markedly constitutional symptoms and laboratory disturbances in order to detect rare but treatable heart tumors.
Keywords
constitutional symptoms; echocardiography; myxoma; weight loss
Hrčak ID:
100570
URI
Publication date:
23.4.2013.
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