Unusual Cause of Stroke.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Neurology
• Oncology

Background:

• Ischemic stroke affects over 795,000 individuals annually in the U.S.
• Cardiac myxoma is an uncommon cause of ischemic stroke, accounting for less than 1% of cases.

Observation:

• A 56-year-old male with hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes presented with altered mental status, tinnitus, and double vision.
• Brain MRI revealed multiple acute infarcts in the posterior cerebral artery distribution.
• Transthoracic echocardiography identified a large, mobile left atrial mass (3.5 x 2 cm) prolapsing through the mitral valve.

Findings:

• Surgical resection of the left atrial mass was successful.
• Pathology confirmed the mass as atrial myxoma.
• The patient's symptoms were attributed to systemic embolization from the myxoma.

Implications:

• This case underscores the necessity of comprehensive stroke evaluation, including echocardiography, to identify unusual causes like atrial myxoma.
• Timely surgical intervention is vital for preventing recurrent embolization and managing atrial myxoma complications.