[Percutaneous transvenous biopsy for the diagnosis of a right atrial myxoma]

Abstract

Intracardiac tumors are generally diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography and, more recently, magnetic resonance imaging. However, these techniques do not permit a histopathologic diagnosis. When surgery is not indicated because of limited hemodynamic changes but the benign nature of the tumoral mass is questionable, percutaneous transvenous biopsy, when technically feasible, may represent an alternative approach. In this case report, we utilized percutaneous transvenous biopsy to obtain specimens from a right atrial mass in a 39-year-old woman.