Multiple Cerebral Aneurysms Associated with Atrial Myxoma

Abstract

Cardiac myxoma is a tumor of mesenchymal origin accounting for half of all primary cardiac neoplasms. Intracranial involvement by atrial myxoma is a rare cause of neurologic deficit. When the myxoma arises in the left atrium, systemic emboli from a cardiac myxoma can lead to infarction, cerebral hemorrhage and aneurysm formation. In the light of the potentially preventable nature of these lesions, the diagnosis of myxomatous aneurysms should be considered in any patient with neurologic symptoms and a history of cardiac myxoma. Because aneurysms are often stable over several years, conservative management with careful clinical and radiological follow-up with MRI and angiography seems sensible. We describe a case in which MR imaging and angiography were used to diagnose multiple cerebral aneurysms caused by left atrial myxoma.