Migraine with aura triggered by cardiac myxoma: case report and literature review.

We present a new case of cardiac myxoma triggering migraine auras. A 52-year-old woman was suffering from migraine attacks with aura. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed no abnormalities. Subsequently, she had a minor stroke with multiple ischaemic lesions bilaterally on repeat MRI. An echocardiogram showed a myxoma of the left atrial wall. After removal of the myxoma she was free of symptoms. In the past, seven cardiac myxoma associated migraine patients have been reported. Other cardiac abnormalities, patent foramen ovale in particular, are known to be associated with migraine with aura. We attempted to compare the mechanisms by which cardiac myxoma and other cardiac abnormalities could trigger cortical spreading depression leading to migraine with aura.