Intracavitary melanoma of the left atrium.

A 32-year-old man was seen with shortness of breath and increasing fatigue. Echocardiography revealed an intracavitary mass occupying the entire left atrium. The lesion was resected using cardiopulmonary bypass and found to be a large malignant melanoma. This case represents the rare occasion in which antemortem diagnosis of malignant melanoma within left atrium permitted successful palliative surgical resection. The patient is alive and active 6 months after operation.