title: A rare cause of recurrent cerebral emboli despite oral anticoagulation.
abstract: We report on a patient with a history of colon carcinoma and clinical presentation of recurrent cardiac emboli despite oral anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation. On delayed transoesophageal echocardiography, finally a left atrial myxoma was suspected. Surgery, however, revealed a left atrial metastatic tumour with histopathological features of a colon adenocarcinoma. Metastases of colorectal adenocarcinoma invading cardiac structures are rare. Isolated literature reports describe metastatic masses detected in the right atrium reflecting natural haematogenous spreading of cancer, but none in the left heart.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Elblandkliniken, Meissen, Germany.
authors.forename: Imanuel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dzialowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Elblandkliniken, Meissen, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wolz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meinhardt
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiosurgery, Technical University Dresden, Heart Centre, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Waldow
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D020766:Intracranial Embolism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012008:Recurrence; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants