An unexpected pre-operative diagnosis

This is a case report of a patient presenting with breathlessness who was thought to have suspected systemic lupus erythematosus, but was actually diagnosed with an atrial myxoma. It shows how cardiac pathology can be easily misdiagnosed as suspected pulmonary pathology and serves as a reminder to clinicians when investigating a patient with breathlessness. It also raises the question as to which patients should undergo routine pre-operative echocardiography before thoracic surgery.