Assessment of embolic cardiomyopathy from atrial myxoma on magnetic resonance imaging: A case report

Abstract

Atrial myxoma is the most common benign cardiac tumor, which can present with diverse symptoms. Systemic embolism is a frequent complication, affecting up to one-third of cases and frequently involving cerebral arteries. However, cardiac myxoma-induced myocardial infarction (MI) is rare. We report a case of a 56-year-old man presenting with predominant neurological symptoms and an unexplained elevation of hs-Trop T without clinical signs of acute MI. Computerized tomography of the head showed no acute lesions, but subsequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed multiple small ischemic lesions and old microhemorrhage foci. A comprehensive cardiovascular investigation was performed. Ultrasonography revealed a left atrial mass. Cardiac MRI confirmed the mass was an atrial myxoma, and showed many old infarctions and scarring lesions in the cardiac muscle. The patient underwent tumor resection, but residual motor-neurological deficits were observed. This case emphasizes the importance of cardiac MRI in the diagnosis of multiple focal infarctions attributed to coronary embolism.

Keywords

• Atria myxoma
• Cardioembolic cerebral infarction
• Embolic myocardial infarction
• CT
• MR