Tumor Embolism to the Brachial Artery Originating From Cardiac Myxoma in the Left Atrium -Report of a Case-

We experienced a case in whom acute arterial occlusion of the upper extremity provided a clue for a definitive diagnosis of cardiac myxoma in the left atrium. A 54-year-old female patient with paralysis of the external ocular muscle due to cerebro-vascular insufficiency suddenly developed ischemic symptoms in the left arm after taking a hot bath. Complete occlusion of the left brachial artery was diagnosed by angiography and laevography. An emergency embolectomy was carried out under local anesthesia using a Fogarty balloon catheter, and the embolus was identified as a myxoma originating from the left atrium. A radical operation for the cardiac myxoma was performed under extracorporeal support six weeks later. Echocardiography should be done preoperatively as a screening test for acute arterial occlusion of embolic origin, because the embolus may be of cardiac tumor origin.