Abstract
Acute pulmonary embolism has a significant impact on morbidity and mortality. Its presentation varies from asymptomatic, incidentally discovered subsegmental thrombi to massive pulmonary embolism complicated by cardiogenic shock and multisystem organ failure. We present a case of a 37-year-old male who had deep venous thrombosis with acute massive pulmonary embolism and stroke. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed large straddling thrombus in patent foramen ovale along with branch pulmonary artery embolus. Patent foramen ovale was closed and pulmonary artery embolus was removed surgically. We conclude that surgery is the best mode of management in the presence of patent foramen ovale.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Yasaka M, Otsubo R, Oe H, Minematsu K. Is stroke a paradoxical embolism in patients with patent foramen ovale? Intern Med. 2005;44:434–8.
Goldhaber SZ, Visani L, De Rosa M. Acute pulmonary embolism: clinical outcomes in the international cooperative pulmonary embolism registry (ICOPER). Lancet. 1999;353:1386–9.
Hull RD, Hirsh J, Carter CJ, et al. Pulmonary angiography, ventilation lung scanning, and venography for clinically suspected pulmonary embolism with abnormal perfusion lung scan. Ann Intern Med. 1983;98:891–9.
Fauveau E, Cohen A, Bonnet N, Gacem K, Lardoux H. Surgical or medical treatment of thrombus straddling the patent foramen ovale: impending paradoxical embolism? Report of four clinical cases and literature review. Arch Cardiovasc Dis. 2008;101:637–44.
Nellessen U, Daniel WG, Matheis G, Oelert H, Depping K, Lichtlen PR. Impending paradoxical embolism from atrial thrombus: correct diagnosis by transesophageal echocardiography and prevention by surgery. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1985;5:1002–4.
Schreiter SW, Phillips JH. Thromboembolus traversing a patent foramen ovale: resolution with anticoagulation. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 1994;7:659–62.
Berthet K, Lavergne T, Cohen A, et al. Significant association of atrial vulnerability with atrial septal abnormalities in young patients with ischemic stroke of unknown cause. Stroke. 2000;31:398–403.
Sukhija R, Aronow WS, Lee J, et al. Association of right ventricular dysfunction with in-hospital mortality in patients with acute pulmonary embolism and reduction in mortality in patients with right ventricular dysfunction by pulmonary embolectomy. Am J Cardiol. 2005;95:695–6.
Stein PD, Alnas M, Beemath A, Patel NR. Outcome of pulmonary embolectomy. Am J Cardiol. 2007;99:421–3.
Kucher N, Rossi E, De Rosa M, Goldhaber SZ. Massive pulmonary embolism. Circulation. 2006;113:577–82.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ghatanatti, R., Dixit, M.D., Gan, M. et al. Straddling embolus across patent foramen ovale in a case of pulmonary embolism. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 33, 152–154 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12055-017-0494-1
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12055-017-0494-1