Intracardiac tumor: A risk factor for stroke in the young –A case report

Abstract

Stroke occurs commonly in individuals above 65years, especially in the background of atherosclerosis and other risk factors. In young persons below 45 years it is a rare disorder with devastating sequelae on the affected individual. Presently there are few reports on the aetiology/risk factors for stroke in young adults in Nigeria. This is due to limited facility for thorough investigation; therefore management of such cases poses a diagnostic challenge. In this report we present a case of embolic stroke in a male undergraduate that began with two brief episodes of transient left sided weakness before a completed stroke four hours later. 2-D echocardiography showed that the likely source of emboli to be a non-pedunculated left atria tumour attached to the root of posteriormitral valve leaflet. Intracardiac mass should be considered a possible risk factor for ischemic stroke in young adult, especially in the absence of other risk factors such as connective tissue disorders, HIV/AIDS, hemoglobinopathy or use of recreational drugs. High index of suspicion is required in order not to overlook such source of emboli. Early diagnosis offers the best panacea for a definitive therapy and prevention of stroke recurrence with its devastating sequelae.Intracardic tumour, risk factor, stroke .

Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol. 11 (1) 2008: pp. 82-85