International Journal of Medical Research & Health Sciences
  • Year: 2019
  • Volume: 8
  • Issue: 2

Left homonymous hemianopsia as the first presentation of left atrial mass

  • Author:
  • Domenico Acanfora1,, Bernardo Lanzillo1, Valentina Carlomagno2, Chiara Acanfora1, Giulio Montefusco1, Pietro Scicchitano3, Gerardo Casucci2
  • Total Page Count: 3
  • Page Number: 99 to 101

1ICS Maugeri, Institute of Care and Scientific Research, Institute of Telese, Terme (BN), Italy

2San Francesco Hospital, Telese, Terme, (BN), Italy

3Section of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University of Bari, School of Medicine, Bari, Italy

*Corresponding e-mail: domenico.acanfora@icsmaugeri.it

Online published on 1 October, 2020.

Abstract

We report the case of an 81-year-old man with sudden incomplete left hemianopsia. Brain computed tomography (CT) showed a right occipital hypodensity which did not seem related to the consequences of embolic stroke as-atrial fibrillation consequence (the patients suffered from permanent atrial fibrillation, CHA2DS2-VASc score=5, but rather showed the characteristics of ischemic lesion due to other causes. Therefore, diagnostic work up was-performed and revealed advanced non-small cell lung cancer invading left atrium through upper pulmonary veins. No-others secondary lesions were detected. Cardiac involvement in cancer is an unusual finding in clinical practice and rarely stroke is the first manifestation. There are no reported cases of neoplastic embolism to the brain from cancer-in the left atrium whose origin is into the lung. The patient started palliative chemotherapy. This report highlights the need for a holistic approach in medicine as the obvious diagnosis could not be the right one.

Keywords

Hemianopsia, Lung cancer, Left atrial mass, Atrial fibrillation