Highlights papillary fibroelastoma as a rare but important differential diagnosis for cardioembolic stroke in young adults.
Although ischaemic strokes are common worldwide, strokes in young adults are rare. Cardioembolism is a frequent cause of ischaemic strokes, often arising from atrial fibrillation or, less commonly, underlying structural heart defects. Primary cardiac tumours are commonly associated with embolic strokes. Although papillary fibroelastoma (PFE) is a rare cardiac tumor, it is one of the most common primary cardiac tumours that causes embolic strokes. We report the case of a 24-year-old woman who presented with sudden-onset right arm weakness. Subsequent investigations, including echocardiography, revealed a papillary mass consistent with PFE.
Zahid et al. (Fri,) studied this question.