Abstract
Left atrial myxoma is the most common intracardiac tumour. It could be seen in patients between 3–83 years of age, with the majority presenting in fifth decade of life as sporadic cases (90%) and second decade as familial cases (10%) [1]. It is an important source of central nervous system embolism [2]. Elderly patients often present with non specific symptoms that are often overlooked in the absence of a supporting cardiac history which makes an early diagnosis challenging. This case report discusses an unusual presentation of left atrial myxoma in an elderly patient.
Highlights
A 77 year old lady presented with a two week history of shortness of breath and acute onset palpitations and chest pain
She had developed an acute confusional state for two days prior to her admission. She had been admitted five months ago with an episode of chest infection which was successfully treated with antibiotics
In the previous four years she had suffered from an episode of transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
Summary
Address: 1Foundation year 2, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Duckworth Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD9 6RJ, UK and 2Consultant Cardiologist, Dewsbury Hospital, Halifax Road, Dewsbury, WF13 4HS, UK. Published: 10 December 2008 Cases Journal 2008, 1:384 doi:10.1186/1757-1626-1-384
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