Image Description
Clinical Presentation of Cardiac Myxomas (continued from the previous image):
Symptoms related to embolization: One-third of tumors have an irregular surface with friable, gelatinous, papillary and villous fronds (as seen here) that can break off and embolize. Both tumor fragments as well as thrombi from the tumor surface can embolize to virtually any organ/site. Tumor emboli in systemic circulation can cause cerebral ischemia, vision loss, claudication of extremities, renal failure, myocardial infarction and even sudden death.
Myxomatous tumor emboli can invade the cranial blood vessels and, in rare cases, lead to the formation of intracranial aneurysms. Whenever peripheral arterial emboli are encountered by the surgeon, they should always be submitted for pathologic examination to rule out cardiac myxoma.
clinical presentation continues in the next image
Symptoms related to embolization: One-third of tumors have an irregular surface with friable, gelatinous, papillary and villous fronds (as seen here) that can break off and embolize. Both tumor fragments as well as thrombi from the tumor surface can embolize to virtually any organ/site. Tumor emboli in systemic circulation can cause cerebral ischemia, vision loss, claudication of extremities, renal failure, myocardial infarction and even sudden death.
Myxomatous tumor emboli can invade the cranial blood vessels and, in rare cases, lead to the formation of intracranial aneurysms. Whenever peripheral arterial emboli are encountered by the surgeon, they should always be submitted for pathologic examination to rule out cardiac myxoma.
clinical presentation continues in the next image