Recurring cardiac myxoma.

Of a series of 14 patients surviving operation for atrial myxoma, two developed signs of recurrence of the tumour. In both cases the patients underwent two further separate operations for recurrent lesions. The time before the second recurrence was nearly 11 years and four and a half years. In neither case did histological examination show malignant change. These two cases of recurrent atrial myxoma, together with four other reported cases, indicate that a second recurrence may occur in about 25% of patients with a first recurrence. Multiple foci of tumour growth is probably the explanation for recurrence in most cases.