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Cerebral ischemia as initial neurological manifestation of atrial myxoma: case report

Leila Azevedo de Almeida1, João Carlos Hueb, Marcos Augusto de Moraes Silva

  • 1Botucatu Medical School, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.

Arquivos De Neuro-Psiquiatria
|November 23, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Cerebral infarctions are common in cardiac conditions. Atrial myxomas can first present as ischemic stroke, often with silent cerebral infarction detectable by CT scans.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Cardiology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Cerebral infarctions of cardiac origin account for approximately 20% of ischemic stroke cases.
  • Atrial myxomas are a rare cause of stroke, with cerebral ischemia being the initial clinical presentation in about one-third of patients.
  • Neurological abnormalities are present in nearly half of atrial myxoma patients, but computed tomography (CT) reveals non-hemorrhagic cerebral infarction in almost all cases.

Observation:

  • A case study of a 40-year-old woman is presented.
  • Her initial clinical manifestation of an atrial myxoma was an ischemic stroke.
  • This case highlights a less common presentation of the condition.

Findings:

  • Atrial myxoma can manifest initially as an ischemic stroke.
  • Computed tomography (CT) is highly sensitive in detecting cerebral infarction in atrial myxoma patients, even when not clinically apparent.
  • The study emphasizes the potential for "silent" cerebral infarctions in individuals with atrial myxoma.

Implications:

  • Early detection and diagnosis of atrial myxoma are crucial to prevent further embolic events.
  • Increased awareness among clinicians regarding cardiac etiologies of stroke, particularly atrial myxoma, is warranted.
  • Routine cardiac screening may be beneficial for patients presenting with unexplained ischemic stroke, especially younger individuals.

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