Atrial myxomas arise from multipotent cardiac stem cells

Apr 10, 2025

Abstract

Aims Cardiac myxomas usually develop in the atria and consist of an acid-mucopolysaccharide-rich myxoid matrix with polygonal stromal cells scattered throughout. These human benign tumours are a valuable research model because of the rarity of cardiac tumours, their clinical presentation and uncertain origin. Here, we assessed whether multipotent cardiac stem/progenitor cells (CSCs) give rise to atrial myxoma tissue.

Introduction Primary tumours of the heart are rare, with an incidence between 0.0017% and 0.19% in unselected patients at autopsy. 1–3 Three quar- ters of the tumours are benign and nearly half the benign heart tumours are myxomas. Myxoma has an annual incidence of 0.5 per million people and most commonly presents in 30- to 50-year-old adults 4 with a slight preponderance in women (65%).Cardiac myxo- mas are typically sporadic and isolated, while only in 5–10% are famil- ial 5 and usually develop in the atria (75% from the left atrium and 18% from the right atrium) 6 and they are regarded as benign neoplasms in the histological conventional sense. However, the oncologic designa- tion of benignity understates the potentially devastating effect this tu- mour may have on the patient. By virtue of their location, cardiac myxomas can produce myriad clinical manifestations, sometimes with fatal consequences, such as heart failure and distant embolisms of the CNS or other organs depending on their location. Therefore, these benign tumours, despite their rarity, continue to generate interest because of their clinical presentation and uncertain histogenesis.

Download full article here