Budd-Chiari Syndrome and Portal Vein Thrombosis Due To Right Atrial Myxoma

Anagnostopoulos, George K MD
Margantinis, George MD
Kostopoulos, Panagiotis MD
Papadopoulou, Glyceria MD
Roulias, Athanassios MD
Sakorafas, George MD, PhD
Liassis, Nikolaos MD, PhD

^aDepartment of Gastroenterology, 251 Hellenic Air Force and Veterans General Hospital, Athens, Greece
^bDepartment of Radiology, 251 Hellenic Air Force and Veterans General Hospital, Athens, Greece
^cDepartment of Surgery, 251 Hellenic Air Force and Veterans General Hospital, Athens, Greece

Address reprint requests to Dr Anagnostopoulos, Department of Gastroenterology, 251 Hellenic Air Force Hospital, 34 Dimokritou St, Agia Paraskevi, 15343 Athens, Greece; e-mail: [email protected].

Accepted for publication June 3, 2003.

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 78(1):p 333-334, July 2004. | DOI: 10.1016/S0003-4975(03)01265-7

Budd-Chiari syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by hepatic venous outflow obstruction. Atrial myxomas account for 35% to 50% of primary cardiac tumors and are usually located in the left atrium. We describe a patient who presented with hepatic inferior vena cava and portal vein thrombosis due to a large myxoma of the right atrium. After the successful removal of the tumor, ascites resolved completely. We conclude that right atrial myxoma is a rare but potentially curable cause of Budd-Chiari syndrome.