Left atrial sarcoma presenting as cerebral infarction.
OBJECTIVE
Primary heart tumors are rare and most of them are benign. The majority of benign cardiac tumors are myxomas, although almost all malignant cardiac tumors are sarcomas. Malignant cardiac tumors usually appear in children.


METHODS
There have been cases described of stroke secondary to embolism caused by cardiac sarcomas, but it is rarely the first manifestation of the tumor.


RESULTS
We describe a 48-year-old man who suffered a cardioembolic stroke secondary to cardiac sarcoma.


CONCLUSIONS
Malignant cardiac tumors typically appear through 1 of 4 mechanisms: obstruction to blood flow and interference with valve function; local invasion causing arrhythmias or pericardial effusion; embolic phenomena or systemic symptoms. We analyze the characteristics of cardiac sarcoma and the pathophysiology of embolism.
Caballero
Pedro Enrique Jiménez
PE
Department of Neurology, Virgen de la Salud Hospital, Calle Murillo No. 14, Bargas, Toledo, Spain. pjimenez1010j@yahoo.es
D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006325:Heart Atria; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D020766:Intracranial Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery