RESUMO
The authors describe 3 cases of left atrial myxoma confirmed by two-dimensional echocardiography and at operation. One patient had the symptoms of embolisms to the cerebral and renal vessels in the absence of heart disease, 2 patients presented with the symptoms of congestive heart failure. In one patient, loud first sound as well as systolic and diastolic murmur at the heart apex were documented. The nonspecific manifestations (weight loss, fever, high ESR, dysproteinemia, and rheumatoid factor) were observed in all the cases. The difficulties encountered in the clinical diagnosis of heart myxoma are discussed. The differential diagnosis is made between valvular heart disease and infective endocarditis, systemic vasculitis, cardiomyopathy, etc. Echocardiography to exclude myxoma should be performed in patients with thromboembolism, rheumatic valvular disease, subacute endocarditis (particularly in the absence of the classical symptoms) and in those with fever of unknown origin.
