Introduction
Atrial myxomas are the most common primary cardiac tumors1. Clinical features are dictated by their size, location and mobility. They arise in the left atrium in 75-80% of cases. In the great majority of cases they are discovered as incidental findings, being asymptomatic. However, whenever clinical symptoms become manifest, the most common presentations are embolic, obstructive and constitutional2. Obstructive symptoms resemble valve stenosis. Furthermore, impingement on the valve may impair valve function, requiring associated valve repair/replacement. Primary treatment is surgical removal of the myxoma; whenever hemodynamic compromise is present, emergent intervention is necessary3.
We describe a case of a huge left atrial myxoma that caused nearly complete obliteration of mitral valve orifice, mimicking mitral stenosis, and requiring emergent surgical excision.