Resection of a large left atrial myxoma combined with mitral valve repair via a vertical right axillary thoracotomy in a pediatric patient.

Cardiac myxomas are extremely rare in the pediatric population; however, if they do develop, they occur most often in the left atrium. We present a 16-year-old male who had a murmur discovered during a routine sport examination. A transthoracic echocardiogram showed a large left atrial tumor that caused severe inflow obstruction to the left ventricle and at least moderate mitral valve regurgitation. Through a minimally invasive, muscle-sparing vertical right axillary thoracotomy, he underwent complete resection of the mass, combined with posterior mitral valve annuloplasty. A histopathological examination confirmed a cardiac myxoma.