Left Atrium Emboligenic Myxoma: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Introduction: Cardiac myxomas represent the most frequent forms of primary tumors of the heart. The most frequent location is the interatrial septum. We report the clinical case of a myxoma of the left atrium and discuss its epidemiological and therapeutic aspects through a review of the literature. Observation: This was a 41-year-old female patient who presented with sudden rotational dizziness associated with vomiting. MRI revealed multiple punctiform bilateral supra and subtentorial strokes of different ages, recent and semi-recent, suggesting an embologenic etiology. Transesophageal echocardiography found a large pedunculated, homogeneous, avascular tumor hanging from the interatrial septum. The patient is operated on urgently under cardiopulmonary bypass for resection of a large tumor located in the left atrium. The pathological examination concluded with the diagnosis of myxoma of the left atrium. The postoperative follow-up was straightforward and the patient was discharged from the hospital via home hospitalization. Conclusion: The diagnosis of cardiac myxomas is suspected in the presence of symptoms associated with echocardiographic images of intracardiac masses and confirmed by histological study. Embolic accidents are one of the formidable complications of myxomas. Surgical management is urgent, especially in the presence of predictive morphological features of embolism on echocardiography.