Highlights the poor prognosis and potential for sudden death in patients with giant free-floating left atrial thrombus, especially when surgical intervention is contraindicated.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Sudden death risk persists despite heparin in giant free-floating left atrial thrombus; this case leaves open optimal non-surgical strategies.
Left atrial ball thrombus is a rare disorder with potential fatal systemic embolism or mitral valve orifice occlusion that may result in sudden death. Its treatment is still controversial and is often associated with poor prognosis. We report the case of a 95-year-old woman with a history of permanent atrial fibrillation who was admitted to our hospital for syncope. A two-dimensional echocardiogram showed an enormous left atrial thrombus protruding through the mitral valve orifice. Cardiac surgeons declined to operate on the patient because of her very advanced age. Therefore, she was put on heparin but unfortunately died on day 17, secondary to a sudden cardiovascular arrest.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Cemin et al. (2008) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: