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Atrial Myxoma: Presenting as a Large Splenic Infarction
Ayesha Khalid1, Shehnaz Wasim1, Alan Kaell2
1Internal Medicine, Mather Hospital Northwell Health, Port Jefferson, USA.
Insights
Left atrial myxoma, a common benign heart tumor, can present unusually with splenic infarction. This case highlights the importance of considering cardiac myxoma in the differential diagnosis of splenic infarction.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Cardiac myxomas are the most frequent primary benign heart tumors, typically found in the left atrium.
- Manifestations include constitutional symptoms, obstruction, and embolic events, potentially leading to stroke, myocardial infarction, or ischemia.
Observation:
- A middle-aged female presented with abdominal pain and splenic infarction on CT scan, with no history of autoimmune or hypercoagulable conditions.
- Evaluation revealed a large left atrial myxoma, surgically resected and confirmed by biopsy.
Findings:
- Despite its large size and irregular morphology, the left atrial myxoma did not cause congestive heart failure.
- The tumor's surface characteristics and mobility are hypothesized to have caused splenic embolization.
Implications:
- This case underscores that splenic infarction can be an atypical presentation of a left atrial myxoma.
- Cardiac myxoma should be included in the differential diagnosis for splenic infarction, especially in the absence of other risk factors.
Abstract:
Cardiac myxomas are the most common benign primary heart tumors, with the majority occurring in the left atrium. Clinical manifestations are a result of constitutional, obstructive, and/or embolic events. Complications include myocardial infarction and stroke, as well as renal and limb ischemia. Our unusual case is a middle-aged female who presented with a one-week history of progressively worsening abdominal pain and was found to have a large splenic infarction on a CT scan. There was no personal or family history of autoimmune diseases or hypercoagulable states. The evaluation revealed a large left atrial myxoma confirmed on biopsy after surgical resection. Our patient's clinical presentation was relatively benign compared to the size of her mass. Although her myxoma was very large, morphologically solid, and attached to the interatrial septum, she did not have any evidence of congestive heart failure. The tumor's irregular surface and mobility likely led to splenic embolization. Hence, the differential diagnosis of splenic infarction should include left atrial myxoma.
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