A rare cause of recurrent cerebral emboli despite oral anticoagulation.

We report on a patient with a history of colon carcinoma and clinical presentation of recurrent cardiac emboli despite oral anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation. On delayed transoesophageal echocardiography, finally a left atrial myxoma was suspected. Surgery, however, revealed a left atrial metastatic tumour with histopathological features of a colon adenocarcinoma. Metastases of colorectal adenocarcinoma invading cardiac structures are rare. Isolated literature reports describe metastatic masses detected in the right atrium reflecting natural haematogenous spreading of cancer, but none in the left heart. 2014 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.