MYXOMA OF THE LEFT ATRIA WITH NEUROLOGICA L MANIFESTATIONS - A STUDY,OF 8 CASES

A cohort of 8 patients with myxoma of the left atria and neurological manifestations is reported. Cerebral ischaemia, sometimes responsible for epileptic seizures, led to the discover of the myxoma (5 cases) or recurrence after exeresis (1 case) with imaging evidence of cerebral infarction in 5 cases. The first manifestation was a retinal embolism and temporary ischaemia in 1 case and pulmonary embolism with regressi ve cerebral ischaemia in another case with bilateral myxoma. Some clin ical particularities should be underlined including exercise induced n eurological defect (3 cases), systemic embolism associated with cerebr al infarction (3 cases), migraine headache as the initial manifestatio n (1 case) preceding by a pseudolupic syndrome suggesting the possibil ity of cerebral vasculitis or infectious endocarditis (1 case). The pr ognosis depends on the risk of recurrent atrial tumour formation (1 ca se). Metastases are rare. Multiple cerebral aneurysins (3 cases) did n ot lead to haemorrhagic complications.