Differentiation of thrombus from pannus as the cause of acquired mechanical prosthetic heart valve obstruction by non-invasive imaging: a review of the literature

AIMS: For acquired mechanical prosthetic heart valve (PHV) obstruction and suspicion on thrombosis, recently updated European Society of Cardiology guidelines advocate the confirmation of thrombus by transthoracic echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and fluoroscopy. However, no evidence-based diagnostic algorithm is available for correct thrombus detection, although this is clinically important as fibrinolysis is contraindicated in non-thrombotic obstruction (isolated pannus). Here, we performed a review of the literature in order to propose a diagnostic algorithm. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a systematic search in Pubmed and Embase. Included publications were assessed on methodological quality based on the validated Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) II checklist. Studies were scarce (n = 15) and the majority were of moderate methodological quality. In total, 238 mechanical PHV's with acquired obstruction and a reliable reference standard were included for the evaluation of the role of fluoroscopy, echocardiography, or multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT). In acquired PHV obstruction caused by thrombosis, mass detection by TEE and leaflet restriction detected by fluoroscopy were observed in the majority of cases (96 and 100%, respectively). In contrast, in acquired PHV obstruction free of thrombosis (pannus), leaflet restriction detected by fluoroscopy was absent in some cases (17%) and mass detection by TEE was absent in the majority of cases (66%). In case of mass detection by TEE, predictors for obstructive thrombus masses (compared with pannus masses) were leaflet restriction, soft echo density, and increased mass length. In situations of inconclusive echocardiography, MDCT may correctly detect pannus/thrombus based on the morphological aspects and localization. CONCLUSION: In acquired mechanical PHV obstruction without leaflet restriction and absent mass on TEE, obstructive PHV thrombosis cannot be confirmed and consequently, fibrinolysis is not advised. Based on the literature search and our opinion, a diagnostic algorithm is provided to correctly identify non-thrombotic PHV obstruction, which is highly relevant in daily clinical practice.