Left Atrial Myxoma Presenting With Non-ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

TL;DR

A 49-year-old man with a heart tumor experienced a heart attack due to tumor material blocking his coronary arteries, which was resolved after surgery.

Contribution

This case highlights myxoma embolization as a rare cause of NSTEMI and cardiomyopathy, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and surgical intervention.

Findings

A left atrial myxoma was identified as the cause of NSTEMI and cardiomyopathy in a 49-year-old male.

Surgical excision of the myxoma resolved the patient's condition.

Non-obstructive coronary artery disease was confirmed, excluding ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Abstract

Cardiac myxoma is a benign cardiac tumor. A rare phenomenon associated with cardiac tumors is the embolization of the myxomatous material into the coronary arteries, leading to myocardial infarction. This typically requires surgical excision of the tumor to prevent recurrence. Early diagnosis with the help of both transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography is vital in managing these patients. Here, we present a case of a 49-year-old male patient who initially presented with chest pain and non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and subsequently newly diagnosed cardiomyopathy. Upon further cardiac evaluation, he was found to have a large left atrial myxoma with non-obstructive coronary artery disease. It was suspected that the etiology for NSTEMI and subsequent newly diagnosed cardiomyopathy was due to myxomatous embolization into the coronary arteries; ischemic cardiomyopathy was excluded by definition. The patient subsequently underwent successful surgical excision of the left atrial myxoma.

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