Atrial myxoma and posterior circulation stroke

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Neurology
• Oncology

Background:

• Cardiac tumors are rare, with most being secondary metastases; primary tumors are uncommon.
• Myxomas are the most frequent primary cardiac tumors and a rare cause of cardioembolic stroke.
• Transthoracic echocardiography is crucial for diagnosing cardioembolic stroke causes.

Observation:

• A patient presented with symptoms of a posterior circulation stroke.
• The stroke involved right-sided pontine and cerebellar infarcts.
• These infarcts were found to be secondary to a left atrial myxoma.

Findings:

• The study highlights a rare instance of cardiac myxoma leading to posterior circulation stroke.
• The majority of myxoma-related strokes typically affect the middle cerebral artery territory.
• Successful surgical resection was performed for the patient's cardiac myxoma.

Implications:

• This case underscores the importance of considering cardiac myxoma in the differential diagnosis of posterior circulation strokes.
• Early diagnosis and surgical intervention are critical for managing myxoma-related cerebrovascular events.
• Further literature review is needed to understand the full spectrum of myxoma-induced neurological complications.