Sudden death in cardiac myxoma

Nonmalignant tumour (heart myxoma) is often a cause of sudden death. Morphological investigation of 11 heart myxomas (8 in the left atrium, 1 in the right atrium) was performed. These myxomas were generally attached to endocardium in the area of the oval foramen. Sudden death occurred due to infarction of the brain, heart and other vitally important organs as a result of embolism of greater circulation vessels by disintegrated tumour located at the left side of the heart, then due to lung failure caused by embolism of lesser circulation vessels by tumour located at the right half of the heart, and due to heart failure as a result of occlusion of atrioventricular foramen by big myxoma.