title: An unusual case of mesenteric ischemia in a patient with cardiac myxoma.
abstract: Symptoms related to peripheral embolism are experienced in 2%-15% of cases of cardiac myxoma. We present a rare case of a 54-year-old man admitted due to sudden abdominal pain. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). As the patient's response to support treatment was favorable, a non-invasive approach was adopted, with prescription of oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed a tumor in the left atrium. The cardiac mass was completely removed and diagnosed as myxoma by histopathological analysis. As periodic CT scans showed progressive improvement of blood flow through the SMA, OAC was continued. OAC may have been beneficial due to the nature of emboli originating from a cardiac myxoma: thrombi covering the surface of the tumor. At present, there is no explanation in the literature for the benefits of OAC in patients with embolism associated with cardiac myxoma.
authors.affiliation: Departament of Cardiology and Physiology, Hospital of the Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Faculty of Medicine, Buenos Aires, Argentina. gpbaztarrica@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pérez Baztarrica
authors.forename: Norberto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bornancini
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salvaggio
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Porcile
mesh_terms: D004617:Embolism / Q000209:etiology*; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D065666:Mesenteric Ischemia; D008875:Middle Aged; D009232:Myxoma / Q000150:complications*; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Artéria mesentérica superior; Embolia; Embolism; Ischemia; Isquemia; Mesenteric artery; Mixoma; Myxoma