Magnetic resonance imaging and angiography of the brain in embolic left atrial myxoma.

A case of left atrial myxoma presenting exclusively with neurological symptoms, studied with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with cerebral angiography and computed tomography (CT) is reported. Typical angiographic findings suggested the diagnosis of myxoma. MRI showed multiple ischemic lesions disseminated throughout the entire brain, some of which had been clinically asymptomatic. Because of its sensitivity in identifying small cerebral infarcts, MRI should prove in the future to be a first-choice technique in the evaluation of the presence of and extent of cerebral involvement in embolic left atrial myxoma.