A rare presentation of left atrial tumor as acute stroke

Abstract

This case report deals with a case of stroke in young female patient who was later diagnosed to have left atrial tumor. This female patient in her late 20s presented with a history of 1 month of progressive postural giddiness (in upright position), which was followed by sudden onset right monoparesis. The patient arrived to the hospital with above mentioned complaints. Her National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was 5, and on examination of cardiovascular system, she had a middiastolic murmur in upright position, which resolved in lying position. Her brain imaging noncontrast computerized tomography (NCCT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed lacunar infarcts in multiple vascular territories. Her transthoracic echocardiography revealed a pedunculated mass of around 4 × 2 cm from inter atrial septum in left atrium. She was started on anticoagulation and was referred to a cardio thoracic, and vascular center for tumor excision and biopsy. She underwent successful tumor excision and histopathological examination of the resected mass revealed cardiac myxoma. Incidence of primary cardiac tumor is very less in realtime world data. An atrial myxoma presenting as acute stroke secondary to tumor embolization is extremely rare.