title: Atrial myxoma presenting with cerebral haemorrhage.
abstract: Emboli from left atrial myxomas are a recognized cause of cerebral ischaemia. The myxomatous embolus may infiltrate the cerebral arterial wall, resulting in aneurysmal dilatation with a risk of rupture. Myxoma-associated cerebral haemorrhage has been described in patients with progressive neurological dysfunction. We report a new presentation. Our patient, a previously healthy 20 year old girl, developed acute intracerebral haemorrhage for which craniotomy was performed. Histology of evacuated haematoma revealed an intravascular fragment of myxoma. Echocardiography demonstrated a left atrial myxoma which later was uneventfully excised. Early diagnosis of embolic cardiac myxoma requires awareness of the diversity of clinical manifestations, and careful histological analysis of surgical specimens.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009232:Myxoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology