Incidental finding of a left atrial thrombus during surgical management of a massive pulmonary embolism.

Incidental finding of a left atrial thrombus during surgical management of a massive pulmonary embolism. Ann Card Anaesth. 2020 Jan-Mar;23(1):87-89 Authors: Dunn S, Dave N, Rodriguez-Blanco YF, Aljure O Abstract A 58-year-old male presented with a hemodynamically significant pulmonary embolism. Computed tomography angiogram revealed a saddle embolus in the main pulmonary artery with extensive clot burden affecting all lobes and right heart strain. Transthoracic echocardiogram displayed a dilated right ventricle with reduced systolic function. The patient was scheduled for pulmonary embolectomy. The intraoperative transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) demonstrated a mobile left atrial thrombus that was missed on previous imaging. After removal of the thrombi, TEE showed a patent foramen ovale (PFO). The left atrial thrombus passed across the PFO secondary to increased right heart and pulmonary pressures. PMID: 31929255 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Annals of Cardiac Anaesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Ann Card Anaesth Source Type: research