Intracardiac tumor: a risk factor for stroke in the young--a case report.
BACKGROUND
Stroke occurs commonly in individuals above 65 years, especially in the background of atherosclerosis and other risk factors. In young persons below 45 years it is a rare disorder with devastating sequelae on the affected individual.


OBJECTIVE
Presently there are few reports on the aetiology/risk factors for stroke in young adults in Nigeria. This is due to limited facility for thorough investigation; therefore management of such cases poses a diagnostic challenge. In this report we present a case of embolic stroke in a male undergraduate that began with two brief episodes of transient left sided weakness before a completed stroke four hours later. 2-D echocardiography showed that the likely source of emboli to be a non-pedunculated left atria tumour attached to the root of posterior mitral valve leaflet.


CONCLUSIONS
Intracardiac mass should be considered a possible risk factor for ischemic stroke in young adult, especially in the absence of other risk factors such as connective tissue disorders, HIV/AIDS, hemoglobinopathy or use of recreational drugs. High index of suspicion is required in order not to overlook such source of emboli. Early diagnosis offers the best panacea for a definitive therapy and prevention of stroke recurrence with its devastating sequelae.
Sanya
E O
EO
Department of Medicine University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State. emanuelosanya@yahoo.com
Kolo
P M
PM
Adamu
U G
UG
Opadijo
O G
OG
Wahab
K W
KW
Mustapha
A F
AF
Omotoso
A B O
AB
D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D006325:Heart Atria; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D020766:Intracranial Embolism / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D009232:Myxoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*