ANSWER:

Right atrial thrombus.

Type: "Emboli in transit"

Characteristic:  Highly mobile, elongated-serpiginous mass.

Complication:  Always end up with pulmonary emboli. Any paradoxical emboli ?

Origin:  Mostly from pelvic or lower extremities deep vein thrombosis.

Differentiate:  From mural thrombus or right atrial tumor such as right atrial myxoma.

Transthoracic echo is about 50-60% sensitivity for detection of right heart thrombus and may underestimate the clot size.

Treatment:  anticoagulation, thrombolysis, surgery.

 

Other echo findings in this case included moderate right heart enlargement and significant pulmonary hypertension.

(Please contact Karen Hoftyzer for more information during the echocardiographic procedure.)

 

 

CURRENT REFERENCES

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 (Case presentation echocardiographic finding in this article is similar to our case here)

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