Abstract
Free-floating ball thrombi in the left atrium are rarely seen. They can cause sudden death by occluding the mitral valve. A 47-year-old female patient who showed signs of mitral stenosis during a physical examination and atrial fibrillation by electrocardiography was not administered anticoagulant therapy. On the transthoracic echocardiogram, a stenotic mitral valve and a floating mobile mass were seen inside the large left atrium. This mass was rounded (ball-like), had smooth contours, and occasionally occluded the stenotic mitral valve. The patient underwent emergency surgery to remove the mass, which was later proven to be a thrombus pathologically. Additionally, mitral valve replacement was performed. The importance of anticoagulant therapy for patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis has been emphasized by this case.
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Received: January 30, 2002 / Accepted: March 23, 2002
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Cakir, O., Eren, N., Oruç, A. et al. Free-floating ball thrombus in the left atrium. Heart Vessels 16, 208–210 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003800200025
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s003800200025