Surgical removal of a left atrial myxoma utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass

An atrial myxoma is a benign intracavitary tumor of the heart. Clinical manifestations of the myxoma depend upon the location within the heart and the degree of obstruction to blood flow. This case report presents a patient who displayed all the clinical symptomology of mitral valve dysfunction, due to the presence of a left atrial myxoma. The diagnosis and subsequent surgical removal of the tumor, utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass, are the subject of this report.