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Atrial myxoma - right
Definition:
Atrial myxoma is a cardiac tumor involving the connective tissue within the heart's upper chambers (atria). The tumor may be located in the right or left atrium. (See also Atrial myxoma - left.) Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
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Most tumors in the heart are caused by the spread (metastasis) of cancerous cells from other tumors. Tumors originating in the heart (primary tumors of the heart) are rare. Of the primary cardiac tumors, myxomas are the most common. Women are more likely to be affected than men. Some atrial myxomas are inherited. Family history is a risk factor. About 75% of cardiac myxomas are in the left atrium (atrial myxoma - left), and the rest are in the right atrium. Right atrial myxomas are sometimes associated with tricuspid stenosis and atrial fibrillation.
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