BACKGROUND: Cardiac myxomas have been reported in the neonate but never in the fetus. We present the prenatal diagnosis of such a tumor. CASE: The patient had been referred for fetal echocardiography for a right atrial mass. At 23 weeks' gestation, the tumor was initially located in the left atrium. Then it crossed the foramen ovale and began moving between the right atrium and ventricle. It appeared as a soft, moderately echogenic mass with a long peduncle attached to the right atrial wall. It was followed until delivery and removed at 20 days of life. CONCLUSION: This case shows that myxomas can also arise in the fetus. Such a diagnosis should be taken into consideration when a soft, echogenic, pedunculated mass is seen within the fetal heart.
BACKGROUND:Cardiac myxomas have been reported in the neonate but never in the fetus. We present the prenatal diagnosis of such a tumor. CASE: The patient had been referred for fetal echocardiography for a right atrial mass. At 23 weeks' gestation, the tumor was initially located in the left atrium. Then it crossed the foramen ovale and began moving between the right atrium and ventricle. It appeared as a soft, moderately echogenic mass with a long peduncle attached to the right atrial wall. It was followed until delivery and removed at 20 days of life. CONCLUSION: This case shows that myxomas can also arise in the fetus. Such a diagnosis should be taken into consideration when a soft, echogenic, pedunculated mass is seen within the fetal heart.