A left atrial myxoma presenting as a cerebrovascular accident

A 14-year-old female presented with common clinical findings for a rare pri mary intracardiac tumor. Primary cardiac tumors are rare in all age groups, occurring in 0.05% of routine postmortem examinations. Pediatric primary c ardiac tumors are likewise uncommon, with the most common being a rhabdomyo ma, Atrial myxomas occur infrequently in the pediatric age group. They occu r primarily between the third and sixth decade, making them the most common adult primary cardiac tumor. The following case presentation demonstrates a common clinical presentation for an intracardiac mass rarely diagnosed in the pediatric population. This patient's acute neurologic symptoms require d prompt recognition of an intracardiac etiology. This recognition proved c ritical for the acute and long-term medical and surgical management of this patient. (C) 1999 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.