A Case of Left Atrial Myxoma Presenting With Central Retinal Artery Occlusion

We experienced a case in which central retinal artery occlusion provided a clue for a definitive diagnosis of cardiac myxoma in the left atrium. A 15-year-old girl presented with sudden loss of vision in her left eye associated with a transient ischemic attack. Ophthalmologic evaluation demonstrated permanent visual loss of the left eye according to the obstruction of the central retinal artery. Echocardiography showed typical findings of a left atrial myxoma, which was suggested as a source of emboli. A radical operation for the cardiac myxoma was performed under cardiopulmonary bypass two months later. From a review of the literature, cardiac disorders account for 7.4-28.2% of the underlying factors for occlusion of the central retinal artery. Rheumatic valvular disease and mitral valve prolapse are common but cardiac myxoma is extremely rare. Through examination including echocardiography should be considered in young patients with retinal embolism and early surgical treatment is essential, if an operable disease is found.