An unusual cause of sudden death: Cardiac myxoma

Abstract

Primary tumors of the heart are rare; the most common cardiac tumor is atrial myxoma. Sudden death may occur in patients with atrial myxoma, tumor embolization, or obstruction of blood flow at the mitral or tricuspid valve. This report describes an unusual cause of sudden death and the autopsy findings for a 73-year-old man with left atrial myxoma.