Faculty Collaboration Database

Asymptomatic large left-atrial ball thrombus. Secondary to mitral stenosis. Tex Heart Inst J 1997;24(4):376-8

Date

01/01/1997

Pubmed ID

9456496

Pubmed Central ID

PMC325486

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0031415558 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   12 Citations

Abstract

We describe the very unusual case of a patient with a large, free-floating left-atrial thrombus secondary to severe mitral stenosis, in whom the peculiar symptoms and complications of a ball thrombus were absent. The patient's only symptom before the episode reported here was mild dyspnea, which was attributed to mitral stenosis. She experienced neither embolism nor syncope. While even her clinical signs did not indicate a left-atrial ball thrombus, both echocardiography and angiography showed a free-floating thrombus. Because of the risk of stroke and acute obstruction of the mitral valve, emergency surgery was performed upon diagnosis of the ball thrombus. The surgery, which consisted of removing the thrombus and replacing the mitral valve with a mechanical prosthesis, was uneventful. A computed tomographic brain scan prior to discharge did not detect any cerebral infarction.

Author List

Vitale M, Agnino A, Serena D, Schena S, Piscitelli D, Fiore T, de Luca Tupputi Schinosa L

Author

Stefano Schena MD, PhD Associate Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Aged
Female
Heart Atria
Heart Diseases
Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation
Humans
Mitral Valve
Mitral Valve Stenosis
Thrombosis