Embolization Of Atrial Myxoma Research Articles

P853 Bilateral lower limb ischemia in a healthy young man what if the heart was hiding the etiology

Abstract Cardiac myxoma is the most common benign cardiac tumor with diverse nonspecific clinical manifestations; moreover, atrial myxoma embolization to the peripheral vessels is rare. A 24-year-old man presented tothe emergency departement complaining ofpain and coldness of his two lower extremities. The right femoral pulse was normally felt while the pulses of the left lower limb from the femoral down to the posterior and anterior tibial arteries were not felt. Bilateral thrombectomy was performed on emergency basisand a fatty-like mass from the left femoral artery was removed. The histological examination of this mass was suggestive of myxoma.So, transthoracic echocardiography was done and confirmed the diagnosis of myxoma that was seen in the left atrium and measuring about 10X6 cm in its maximal dimensions. Surgical removal of the myxoma was done later and the patient recovered uneventfully. Conclusion Although myxomas are rare, they should be considered in the differential diagnosis of peripheral embolic disease, especially when an embolic event occurs in a young adult without evidence of endocarditis or arrhythmia. Echocardiography is the modality of choice for diagnosis and follow-up of this type of tumors. FIGURE 1: CTA (computed tomography angiography) showing Occlusion of the left popliteal artery and occlusion of the distal part of the right popliteal artery FIGURE 2: macroscopic view of gelatinous left atrial myxoma

Safety of Intravenous Thrombolysis in Ischemic Stroke Caused by Left Atrial Myxoma

Intravenous thrombolytic treatment represents the gold standard for acute ischemic stroke treatment. However there is some concern to perform this treatment in patients with known cardiac myxomas for the risk of haemorragic complications. Here we described a 63-year-old patient with ischemic stroke due to embolization of atrial myxoma and treated with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator alteplase. The patient did not show improvement after treatment; 25 days later a brain CT showed an asymptomatic small hemorrhagic infarction, probably due to the large size of ischemic lesion. The lack of response might be explained by the embolization of a large tumor fragment. One-year after cardiac surgery clinical follow-up did not reveal new neurological signs nor symptoms. This case report suggests that systemic thrombolysis is a safe procedure also in patient with atrial myxoma. The efficacy of therapy seems to be related to embolus composition.

Queer consequence of cough: atrial myxoma embolization with acute occlusion of the abdominal aorta

We introduce a rare case of sudden paraplegia preceded by vigorous coughing. This case demonstrates that detachment of a myxoma fragment can possibly be triggered by an abrupt increase in intrathoracic pressure. It is a potential complication that has never been reported in the literature. This case illustrates that clinicians should consider cardiac myxoma in a patient with an embolic event of ambiguous etiology, especially when the event is preceded by a forceful, valsalva maneuver-like action.

Surgical Resection of Left Atrial Myxoma Presenting with Acute Multiple Hemorrhagic Cerebral Infarctions: A Case Report

Brain ischemia resulting from left atrial myxoma embolization has been well documented. In contrast, the link between the development of intracerebral hemorrhage and myxoma in these patients has little coverage in the literature. The main theory describing this relationship stems from the fact that cardiac myxoma cells metastasize to the brain's vessels, causing destruction of the arterial wall with subsequent formation of fusiform aneurysm and further intracranial bleeding. It is assumed that when a diagnosis of left atrial myxoma with neurologic manifestations is made, surgical resection should be performed without delay to prevent repeated tumor embolization; however, systemic anticoagulation treatment during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass is not recommended immediately after intracerebral hemorrhage occurs because of the possibility of extending the infarct's size. We describe a patient with acute hemorrhagic brain infarction and an echocardiographically demonstrated left atrial myxoma that was surgically resected successfully in the acute phase after the onset of the neurologic symptoms.