title: Safety of intravenous thrombolysis in ischemic stroke caused by left atrial myxoma.
abstract: Intravenous thrombolytic treatment represents the gold standard for acute ischemic stroke treatment. However there is some concern to perform this treatment in patients with known cardiac myxomas for the risk of haemorragic complications. Here we described a 63-year-old patient with ischemic stroke due to embolization of atrial myxoma and treated with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator alteplase. The patient did not show improvement after treatment; 25 days later a brain CT showed an asymptomatic small hemorrhagic infarction, probably due to the large size of ischemic lesion. The lack of response might be explained by the embolization of a large tumor fragment. One-year after cardiac surgery clinical follow-up did not reveal new neurological signs nor symptoms. This case report suggests that systemic thrombolysis is a safe procedure also in patient with atrial myxoma. The efficacy of therapy seems to be related to embolus composition.
authors.affiliation: Stroke Unit, Policlinico 'S. Maria alle Scotte', Siena, Italy. M.Acampa@ao-siena.toscana.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Acampa
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tassi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guideri
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marotta
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monti
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Capannini
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerase
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martini
mesh_terms: D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004617:Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D009232:Myxoma / Q000150:complications; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator