A Case Report of Atrial Myxoma presenting with Cardioembolic Stroke and treated with Intravenous Thrombolytic Therapy

Background: Cardiac myxomas are a potential source of emboli to the brain and elsewhere in the vascular tree. Myxomas are the most common benign primary cardiac tumor in adults. The commonest location of cardiac myxomas is in the left atrium followed by the right atrium and the remainder develops in the ventricles and rarely in the heart valves. Embolic events occur in approximately 40–50% of patients with myxomas. Crebrovascular strokes secondary to myxomas account for less than 1% of all ischemic strokes but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with stroke in young. Case Description: We report a case of a 42 year-old female patient with a recently discovered left atrial myxoma presenting with sudden onset of ischemic cardioembolic stroke of the right middle cerebral artery. She presented within the therapeutic window of intravenous thrombolytic therapy and was successfully treated. Conclusion: Atrial myxomas are the most common benign primary cardiac tumors in adults and can present in several ways. Embolic ischemic stroke is the most common neurological complication and should be suspected in cases of stroke in young especially in the absence of conventional risk factors. Systemic thrombolysis seems to be safe and effective in treating acute stroke secondary to atrial myxomas especially in young patients and in patients treated early.