A 50-year-old woman presents with fatigue and shortness of breath. Physical examination shows evidence of pulmonary edema, enlargement of the left atrium, and calcification of the mitral valve. A CT scan demonstrates a large obstructing mass in the left atrium. Before open heart surgery can be performed to remove the tumor, the patient suffers a stroke and expires. Which of the following hemodynamic disorders best explains the pathogenesis of stroke in this patient?: (A) Arterial embolism, (B) Atherosclerosis, (C) Cardiogenic shock, (D) Hypertensive hemorrhage
Answer is A. Cardiac myxoma is the most common primary tumor of the heart. One third of patients with a left atrial or left ventricular myxoma die from tumor embolization to the brain. Less likely causes of stroke in this patient with a cardiac myxoma include atherosclerosis (choice B) and hypertensive hemorrhage (choice D).Diagnosis: Cardiac myxoma