Brain Embolism Secondary to Cardiac Myxoma in Fifteen Chinese Patients

Background. Heart myxoma-related embolisms commonly involve the central nervous system, but data are lacking in Chinese patients. Methods. 27 patients diagnosed with myxoma were reviewed retrospectively. Results. Among 27 patients, fourteen (51.9%) patients were women. Fifteen (55.6%) patients had brain embolisms. Rarely, patients were misdiagnosed with central nervous system vasculitis (n = 2), moyamoya disease (n = 1), and neuromyelitis optica (n = 1). We found positive associations between mRS (>3) and female gender (r = 0.873, P < 0.0001), infection (r = 0.722, P = 0.002), severe complications (r = 0.722, P = 0.002), systolic blood pressure (SBP) of <120 mmHg (r = 0.6, P = 0.018), WBC count of >10 × 10(9)/L (r = 0.722, P = 0.002), tumour size (r = 0.866, P < 0.0001), bilateral brain lesions (r = 0.60, P = 0.018), and total anterior circulation infarction (TACI) (r = 0.667, P = 0.007). The independent relationships among these factors and outcomes could not be confirmed (P > 0.05). Conclusions. Neurologic manifestations in Chinese patients with cardiac myxoma-related stroke were complicated and multifarious. Female gender, infection, other severe complications, low SBP, tumour size, bilateral brain lesions, TACI, and high WBC counts could be associated with a poor prognosis.