STROKE, PSEUDOLUPIC SYNDROME AND LEFT ATR IAL-MYXOMA

Left atrial myxomas are a rare stroke etiology (0.4 %). They frequentl y present general symptoms such as fever, weight loss and an inflammat ory syndrome, but the pseudolupic syndrome with cutaneous features and vasomotor symptoms is rarely described. We report the case of a 38-ye ar old man who presented in March 1995 a stroke caused by a left atria l myxoma. There was also pseudolupic clinical and biological manifesta tions which disapeared after ablation of the myxoma. Cerebral angiogra phy showed a small carotid aspect which evoked carotid dissection or c arotid siphon occlusion. The authors discuss neurologic and pseudolupi c manifestations of left atrial myxomas, and their physiopathologic me chanism.