# Cardiac myxoma and cerebral vasculitis: Is there a link?

## TL;DR

This paper presents a case where a cardiac myxoma caused neurological symptoms, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis to prevent complications.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in reporting a rare neurological presentation of cardiac myxoma, emphasizing diagnostic challenges.

## Key findings

- A cardiac myxoma was diagnosed in a patient presenting with neurological symptoms like sudden leg weakness and slurred speech.
- Imaging and echocardiography confirmed a left atrial myxoma extending into the left ventricle.
- Successful surgical removal and histopathological confirmation led to an uneventful recovery.

## Abstract

Cardiac myxomas present a diagnostic challenge due to their ability to mimic various cardiovascular and systemic conditions. Timely identification is crucial for implementing surgical intervention and averting life-threatening complications.

We reported the case of a 49-year-old male patient who presented sudden legs weakness and slurred speech and was admitted 10 h later in emergency department. Physical examination was significant for paraparesis and paraphasia. Cardiac and carotid auscultation was normal. CT brain revealed multiple acute ischemic strokes and MRA was suggestive of cerebral vasculitis. As pre-therapy assessment, the EKG revealed no electrical abnormalities and the chest X-ray showed signs of left atrial enlargement. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography showed a left atrial mass attached to the interatrial septum, measuring 9*5*4 cm and extending into the left ventricular cavity during diastole, which suggested the diagnosis of left atrial myxoma. The patient was referred for open-heart surgery and histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of myxoma. The patient weaned off from cardiopulmonary bypass and the postoperative period was uneventful.

We reported an interesting case with an unusual and misleading neurological presentation of a cardiac myxoma. The unpredictability of serious complications occurrence must awaken our medical flair, for an early diagnosis among a long list of differentials.