Abstract
Embolic stroke, one of the most critical complications of a left atrial (LA) myxoma, may result in the postponement of surgical removal of LA myxoma. A 49-year-old man was diagnosed with a small subarachnoid hemorrhage after he collapsed. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large cerebral infarction; therefore, echocardiography was performed to detect intracardiac embolic sources and a large LA tumor suggestive of an LA myxoma was found. Emergency surgical removal was successfully performed under cardiopulmonary bypass within the first 24 h after the onset of the embolic stroke. An early surgical removal may reduce the incidence of further embolic events that could otherwise occur while waiting for surgery.
