Cardiac myxoma as a rare etiological substrate of stroke: a case report

Abstract

Background. Stroke is a serious neurological emergency with a high risk of long-term disability or death, especially in young patients with unclear or undetermined etiology. Benign cardiac tumors, such as right ventricular myxoma, although rare, can be important embolic causes and are often insufficiently diagnosed. Objective(s). Emphasizing the importance of early etiological diagnosis and multidisciplinary management in strokes of unclear cause, by presenting a clinical case with a rare origin - right heart myxoma. Materials and methods. This paper presents a descriptive analysis of a clinical case admitted to the ED of the Institute of Emergency Medicine in 2025. The patient, a 41-yearold woman, presented with neurological sequelae 7 days after a recurrent ischemic stroke. Clinical, paraclinical, and interdisciplinary evaluation were essential in identifying the underlying cause. Results. Detailed paraclinical examinations revealed the presence of a myxoma located in the right ventricle — a benign cardiac tumor with significant embolic potential that can cause severe neurological complications and seriously threaten life. Given the associated risks, the patient was urgently transferred to the IMSP Republican Clinical Hospital, where she underwent specialized surgical intervention with complete excision of the tumor mass. The postoperative course was favorable, and subsequent multidisciplinary monitoring allowed for the early initiation of effective preventive measures to avoid recurrence and further complications. Conclusion(s). Stroke in young patients requires thorough etiological evaluation, including rare causes. Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential for accurate diagnosis and rapid intervention to prevent severe complications. Cardiac myxoma should be considered in atypical clinical presentations.