An unusual cause of stroke in a 55-year-old woman

Abstract

A 55-year-old woman presented with acute onset ataxia and right-sided dysmetria. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed clinical suspicion of stroke. She was found to have middiastolic murmur which led to urgent echocardiogram demonstrating left atrial myxoma. She underwent prompt surgical resection. Cardiac myxoma is a very rare cause of stroke. The presentation can be varied and diagnosis can be often missed. Early surgical intervention is a definitive treatment. Our case is unique and underlines importance of eliciting accurate physical signs at bedside.

KEYWORDS: :

• cardiac myxoma
• stroke
• murmur