A rare cause of ischemic stroke: cardiac myxoma. Case report and review of literature.

A 46-year-old female diagnosed several years ago with arterial hypertension and an ischemic stroke with significant recovery was admitted for dyspnea on usual physical activity and fatigue. Physical examination revealed signs of heart failure with crackles on both lung bases, distented jugular veins, accentuated pulmonic valve closure (P2) and tricuspid regurgitation murmur. Echocardiography identified a large tumor in the left atrium, suggestive of atrial myxoma, which caused a severe functional mitral stenosis and produced severe pulmonary hypertension. A cardiac embolic source should always be checked in young patients with stroke. Atrial myxoma can mimic a variety of diseases: rheumatic mitral stenosis, infective endocarditis or autoimmune disease. A review on myxoma's histology, immunohistochemistry and genetics together with clinical aspects is presented.