Atrial myxoma in 2 nigerian children: case reports and review of the literature

Rare presentation of an atrial myxoma in an adolescent patient: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Cardiac tumors are uncommon in the pediatric population. When present, cardiac manifestations stem from the tumor causing inflow or outflow obstruction. While common in adults, cardiac myxomas presenting with generalized systemic illness or peripheral emboli especially with no cardiac or neurological symptoms are rare in children.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report a case of a previously healthy adolescent girl who presented with a 6-month history of constitutional symptoms and a purpuric rash with no cardiac or neurologic symptoms, found to have a cardiac myxoma.

CONCLUSIONS

A vasculopathic rash in the setting of atrial myxomas has been shown be a precursor to significant morbidity and mortality. Due to the rarity of this entity, the time elapsed from onset of non-cardiac symptoms until diagnosis of a myxoma is usually prolonged with interval development of irreversible neurological sequelae and death reported in the literature. Therefore, we highlight the importance of including cardiac myxomas and paraneoplastic vasculitis early in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with a purpuric rash and systemic symptoms.

Atrial myxoma: a rare cause of hemiplegia in children

Background:

Atrial myxoma is an uncommon cause of hemiplegia in children. However hemiplegia is the commonest manifestation of atrial myxoma in the paediatric age group.

Case report:

An 11-year-old girl presented with left hemiplegia and palpitations. Three months later she had a deepvein thrombosis of the right common iliac vein. MRI of the brain showed a subacute right thalamic infarct, and an ECG showed left atrial and left ventricular hypertrophy. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a left atrial myxoma impinging on the mitral valve. A diagnosis of left atrial myxoma with multiple thromboembolic events was made. She was placed on anticoagulants until she died while awaiting surgical tumour resection.

Conclusion:

Echocardiography should be done early in children presenting with ischaemic thromboembolic diseases in order to reduce morbidity and mortality rates resulting from cardiac pathology.