Cardiac Myxoma: Title and subTitle BreakA Clinicopathologic and Angiographic Study

Donald L. Price, MD; Jerry L. Harris, MD; Paul F. J. New, MD; Robert C. Cantu, MD

[+] Author Affiliations

Accepted for publication June 3, 1970.

Reprint requests to Department of Neuropathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114 (Dr. Price).

Arch Neurol. 1970;23(6):558-567. doi:10.1001/archneur.1970.00480300080011

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ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT | REFERENCES

THERE are now over 350 reported cases of cardiac myxoma, a slowly-growing intracavitary tumor, most frequently occurring in the left atrium.^1,2 Cardiac myxomas manifest themselves clinically by obstruction of cardiac flow, by constitutional effects, and by embolization. Systemic emboli have been reported in up to 45% of patients with left atrial myxoma.^3-5 In cases where inconspicuous cardiac symptoms and signs are combined with multiple cerebral emboli, a difficult diagnostic problem confronts the clinician. Maroon and Campbell⁶ have pointed out the importance of atrial myxoma as one of the potentially treatable causes of cerebrovascular occlusion.

The present report describes the case of a young woman in whom a left atrial myxoma with disseminated emboli gave rise to pathologic changes in cerebral vessels unlike any that we had previously seen or that had been described by others. Because of the puzzling clinical course, the striking abnormalities visualized by

REFERENCES

ABSTRACT | REFERENCES

Newman HA, Cordell AR, Prichard RW: Intracardiac myxomas: Literature review and report of six cases, one successfully treated . Amer Surg 32:219-230, 1966;.

Greenwood WF: Profile of atrial myxoma . Amer J Cardiol 21:367-375, 1968;.

Goodwin JF: Diagnosis of left atrial myxoma . Lancet 1:464-468, 1963;.

Silverman J, Olwin JS, Graettinger JS: Cardiac myxoma with systemic embolization . Circulation 26:99-103, 1962;.

Goodwin JF: The spectrum of cardiac tumor . Amer J Cardiol 21:307-314, 1968;.

Maroon JC, Campbell RL: Atrial myxoma: A treatable cause of stroke . J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiat 32:129-133, 1969;.

Harvey WP: Clinical aspects of cardiac tumor . Amer J Cardiol 21:328-343, 1968;.

Hair TE, Orgain ES, Sealy WC, et al: Myxoma of the left atrium . Amer J Med 32:560-571, 1962;.

Price DL, Harris J: Cholesterol emboli in cerebral arteries as a complication of retrograde aortic perfusion during cardiac surgery . Neurology , to be published.

Kennedy JC, Taplan GV: Regional cortical blood flow studies with radioalbumin macroaggregates , in Bain WH, Harper AM (eds): Blood Flow Through Organs and Tissues . Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins Co, 1967;.

Steegman AT, De La Fuente J: Experimental cerebral embolism: II. Microembolism of rabbit brain with seran polymer resin . J Neuropath Exp Neurol 18:537-558, 1959;.

Stoane L, Allen JH Jr, Collins HA: Radiologic observations in cerebral embolization . Radiology 87:262-266, 1966;.

New PFJ, Price DL, Carter B: Cerebral angiography in cardiac myxoma . Radiology 96:335-345, 1970;.

Fine G, Morales A, Horn RC: Cardiac myxoma: A morphologic and histogenetic appraisal . Cancer 22:1156-1162, 1968;.

Heath D: Pathology of cardiac tumors . Amer J Cardiol 21:315-327, 1968;.

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