Cardiac myxoma: An uncommon cause of recurrent stroke in uncommon age

• Published in: International Journal of Advanced Medical and Health Research Vol. 2; no. 2; pp. 137 - 139
• Main Authors: Kumar, Harish, Singh, Veer, Meena, Babu, Chandra, Subhash, Kumar, Rajesh, Agrawal, Jatin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd 01.07.2015; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Care and treatment; Development and progression; Echocardiography; hemiparesis; infarction; left atrial myxoma; Myxoma; Patient outcomes; Recurrence (Disease); recurrent stroke; United States
• ISSN: 2349-4220; 2350-0298
• DOI: 10.4103/2349-4220.172915

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cause of cardiogenic emboli in stroke, responsible for over 50% cases of total stroke patients. Myxoma is responsible only in few cases. A stroke caused by left atrial myxoma commonly occur in young females. This patient presented with the repeated attack of stroke in the age of 80 years. However, it is the most common benign cardiac tumor found more frequently. In young adults with stroke or transient ischemic attack than in older patients. Age of the patient and unusual cause of recurrent stroke make this case report interesting. An 80-year-old male with no other conventional vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia presented with left hemiparesis. Infarction over the right middle cerebral artery was disclosed on a magnetic resonance imaging study. The patient was a known case of right hemiparesis 3 years back, which was improved. The cause of repeated attack of stroke was left atrial myxoma, diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography.