[Value of echocardiography in the diagnosis of myxoma of the left auricle].

We have been able to differentiate the right pre-operatory diagnosis of mixoma in the left auricle versus "tumor" caused by hypertrophy and fusion of the papillary muscles of the left ventricle in a severe mitral stenosis. In the mixoma we find the echoes only in the ventricular diastole and not in the sistole; there is a place without echoes in the protodiastole--which has a diagnosis value, and sometimes in the telediastole. When it is a "tumor" in the fusioned papillary muscles of the left ventricle, echoes can be found in ventricular diastole and sistole and there are not spaces without echoes in the protodiastole as it is usual in the pedicled tumors of the left auricle. We have found a new sign to predict the existence of a tumor in the left auricle instead of a mitral stenosis; if we find echoes in the left auricle during the ventricular sistole, we will observe that the front edges of the waves form a capital W, and the back ones form a small w. In the central portions of both ws, the waves go forward as it should happen in the mitral valve when existing a real mitral stenosis. Nevertheless, as this central portion is surrounded by a space without echoes, it means that the tumor is a pedicled one, constitutes an obstruction and is causing similar signs to those pertaining to the mitral stenosis.