Young stroke, cardiac myxoma, and multiple emboli: a case report and literature review.

Cardiac myxoma is a source of emboli to the vascular tree, especially to the central nervous system. Although it is rare, its early recognition is particularly important because of its unique clinical features of subsequently leading to intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage, even brain metastases, and its potential for surgical cure. Missing the diagnosis may lead to devastating results, including stroke, even sudden death. A 40-year-old male with no other conventional vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes or hyperlipidemia presented with right hemiplegia, global aphasia, vomiting, and fever. Infarction over the left middle cerebral artery was disclosed on magnetic resonance imaging study, and echocardiogram showed a huge mass, about 5cm in size, on the mitral valve which was histopathologically proved to be a cardiac myxoma. He also presented with multiple emboli to the kidneys and the left eye. There is uncertainty about the role of anticoagulation. The treatment of choice remains surgical excision of the cardiac myxoma which may lead to normalization of serum interleukin-6 levels and resolution of constitutional symptoms, and the intracranial aneurysms may regress and resolve.