Acute Occlusion of Abdominal Aorta: Unusual Embolization Site for a Cardiac Tumor Mass

Abstract

We report a rare case of complete embolization of a left atrial myxoma resulting in total occlusion of the suprarenal abdominal aorta. A 54-year-old man was admitted to hospital because of acute thoracic pain with paraplegia and acute renal failure. Abdominal computed tomography and angiography showed evidence of total occlusion of the suprarenal aorta. Intraoperatively, the aorta was found to be occluded by a hard neoformation, histologically defined as atrial myxoma. A diagnosis of atrial myxoma should be suspected in young patients suffering from acute thoracic pain and affected by paraplegia and acute renal failure. Early diagnosis may significantly abate the morbidity and mortality rates associated with this condition.

Anticipated diagnosis of left atrial myxoma following histological investigation of limb embolectomy specimens: A report of two cases

“…In clinical practice, authors have stressed that the simplest and most reliable diagnostic tool for the cardiac myxoma is transthoracic two‐dimensional cardiac echography 1,5,14 . However, in cases of massive embolism, the cardiac tumor can disappear 7,15,16 . Occasionally, the existence of a cardiac myxoma has been anticipated following the histological examination of an embolus 6,7 or skin biopsy 17–22 …”