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Percutaneous treatment of a free-floating thrombus in the right atrium of a patient with pulmonary embolism and acute myocarditis

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Abstract

Free-floating thrombi in the right atrium (RA) are extremely hazardous to patients with pulmonary thromboembolism, and optimal treatment methods remain unclear. We report a case of successful percutaneous intervention of a critical right atrial thrombus. The patient was a 50-year-old woman who had been under medication for acute myocarditis when she complained of sudden severe dyspnea. Echocardiography showed a mobile snake-like thrombus in the RA. The thrombus was pulled back to the distal inferior vena cava (IVC) using a catheter and an IVC filter was placed. Percutaneous treatment is useful for treating free-floating RA thrombi.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Prof. Uichi Ikeda, Drs. Kazunori Aizawa and Yusuke Miyashita (Department of Cardiology, Shinshu University Hospital) for their comments and suggestions.

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Correspondence to Tomoyasu Momose.

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Momose, T., Morita, T. & Misawa, T. Percutaneous treatment of a free-floating thrombus in the right atrium of a patient with pulmonary embolism and acute myocarditis. Cardiovasc Interv and Ther 28, 188–192 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12928-012-0141-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12928-012-0141-0

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