Saddle Embolus in Ethiopia

To the Editor:

I read with interest the article on abdominal aortic occlusion in the most recent issue of the Texas Heart Institute Journal. ¹ In the early 1970s, I was in mission service at the Empress Zauditu Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I was called to the emergency room, where an 18-year-old female university student had been admitted due to a sudden episode of weakness in both legs and the inability to walk. On clinical examination, the findings were similar to those seen in Kao and Chang's patient; in addition, both extremities were cool and ashen. Because we had no other means to confirm our clinical diagnosis of cardiac myxoma, we performed a catheter embolectomy through a bilateral femoral arteriotomy approach, and the tumor emboli were recovered. Histologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of cardiac myxoma. The patient improved dramatically and resumed her school activities. Political turmoil in the country occurred shortly thereafter, and the patient was lost to follow-up.