title: Increased levels of antiphospholipid antibodies in a woman with left atrial myxoma and systemic embolisms.
abstract: We describe a case of a 45-y-old woman with a left atrial myxoma, mild to moderate constitutional symptoms and systemic embolisms. Increased levels of antiphospholipid antibodies were detected at admission to the hospital and were gradually normalized after the surgical removal of the tumor. It is known that myxomas have the peculiar ability to induce a systemic inflammatory state with constitutional symptoms, probably mediated by the production of inflammatory mediators in the tumor. This case suggests that myxomas might have also been implicated in the production of antiphospholipid antibodies. Antiphospholipid antibodies could be just a by-product of the systemic inflammatory response. However, they could also have a role in the thrombosis on the myxoma surface and systemic embolisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Diseases, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Salobir
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sabovic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kozelj
mesh_terms: D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000097:blood*; D004617:Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D006325:Heart Atria; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D009232:Myxoma / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery; D053482:beta 2-Glycoprotein I
chemical_list: D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D006023:Glycoproteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor; D053482:beta 2-Glycoprotein I