Advertising Disclaimer
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Al-Mateen, M.
Right arrow Articles by Vitikainen, K. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Al-Mateen, M.
Right arrow Articles by Vitikainen, K. J.
Related Collections
Right arrow Heart & Blood Vessels
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Facebook   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?
PEDIATRICS Vol. 112 No. 2 August 2003, pp. e162-e167

EXPERIENCE AND REASON

Cerebral Embolism From Atrial Myxoma in Pediatric Patients

Majeed Al-Mateen, MD*,{ddagger}, Margaret Hood, MD*, Don Trippel, MD*, Samuel J. Insalaco, MD*,§, Randolph K. Otto, MD*, Kari J. Vitikainen, MD*

* Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and Health Center and Tacoma General Hospital, Tacoma, Washington
{ddagger} Department of Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
§ Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington

We describe 2 children with cerebrovascular events caused by emboli from left atrial myxomas and review 7 other pediatric cases from the literature. Transient cutaneous eruptions involving the extremities preceded the cerebrovascular events and were most likely attributable to fragmentation of the atrial tumor with peripheral embolization. Our first case demonstrates the more common presentation with acute hemiplegia caused by cerebral infarction and the second case a transient ischemic attack manifested by more subtle features as a result of involvement of the vertebrobasilar circulation. Neither child had a history or other signs of cardiac disease. Atrial myxoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis when children present with neurologic symptoms or with signs of embolization, because surgical removal of the tumor is critical and may be curative.

Key Words: cardiac myxoma • acute hemiplegia (in children) • stroke • evanescent rash • retinal artery occlusion

Abbreviations: MRI, magnetic resonance imaging

Received for publication Jan 6, 2003; Accepted Apr 23, 2003.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Facebook Facebook   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?