title: Atrial myxoma: a rare cause of hemiplegia in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atrial myxoma is an uncommon cause of hemiplegia in children. However hemiplegia is the commonest manifestation of atrial myxoma in the paediatric age group.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 11-year-old girl presented with left hemiplegia and palpitations. Three months later she had a deepvein thrombosis of the right common iliac vein. MRI of the brain showed a subacute right thalamic infarct, and an ECG showed left atrial and left ventricular hypertrophy. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a left atrial myxoma impinging on the mitral valve. A diagnosis of left atrial myxoma with multiple thromboembolic events was made. She was placed on anticoagulants until she died while awaiting surgical tumour resection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Echocardiography should be done early in children presenting with ischaemic thromboembolic diseases in order to reduce morbidity and mortality rates resulting from cardiac pathology.
authors.affiliation: Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, Portharcourt, Rivers, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Uchenna
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Onubogu
authors.affiliation: Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, Portharcourt, Rivers, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Boma
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: West
authors.affiliation: Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, Portharcourt, Rivers, Nigeria. Email: utchayonubogu@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Boma
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Orupabo-Oyan
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009232:Myxoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis