RIGHT ATRIAL-MYXOMA IN THE VERY ELDERLY - FEASIBILITY OF SURGICAL EXCISION AND PREOPERATIVE ANATOMIC CHARACTERIZATION

Background: Right atrial myxomas can be safely excised in very old sub jects provided that a precise preoperative anatomic characterization i s obtained. Particularly the assessment of the site of tumor attachmen t allows selection of those patients able to undergo a low-risk surgic al intervention. Methods: An 85-year-old woman was studied using invas ive and noninvasive preoperative procedures. Results: Whereas cardiac catheterization mainly provided information about the coronary tree, t ransesophageal echocardiography, which provided precise definition of tumor attachment, allowed the investigators to plan the safest surgica l intervention. Conclusions: In the preoperative assessment of atrial myxoma in high-risk patients, such as the very elderly, transesophagea l echocardiography may be considered the most informative preoperative procedure.