Frequent Arterial Emboli in a Patient with Acute Pulmonary Thromboembolism and Patent Foramen Ovale (original) (raw)
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Cases Journal, 2009
Paradoxical embolism is defined as a systemic arterial embolism requiring the passage of a venous thrombus into the arterial circulatory system through a right-to-left shunt. It is a relatively rare phenomenon, representing about 2% of all cases of arterial embolism. We report a case of a 79-years-old woman admitted to hospital because of dyspnea and lower left limb pain. CT scan revealed multiple thrombi to kidney, lower limb and superior mesenteric artery during acute pulmonary embolism. Echocardiogram documented a patent foramen ovale with a right-to-left shunt. The patient was treated with thrombolytic therapy and heparin with progressive improvement of symptoms and resolution of pulmonary embolism and peripheral thrombosis. Patent foramen ovale closure was not performed because a life-long anticoagulation therapy was necessary, a tunnel-type patent foramen ovale may increases difficulty in realizing device implantation and there are no clear evidence-based guidelines to date addressing treatment in presence of a patent foramen ovale.
Life-threatening paradoxical thromboembolism in a patient with patent foramen ovale
Cardiovascular Ultrasound, 2022
Background: Venous thromboembolism represents the third most frequent acute cardiovascular syndrome worldwide. Its clinical manifestations are deep vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism. Despite a considerable mortality, diagnosis is often missed. Case presentation: We report the management of a female patient with high-risk pulmonary thromboembolism treated initially with thromboaspiration, complicated by embolus jailing in a patent foramen ovale. In this situation, left cardiac chambers and systemic circulation were jeopardized by this floating embolus. Conclusions: High-risk pulmonary embolism requires reperfusion strategy but sometimes mechanical thromboaspiration may be not fully successful; transesophageal echocardiography led to a prompt diagnosis of this unexpected finding; in this very particular case, open surgery represented a bail-out procedure to avoid cerebral and systemic embolism.
Paradoxical embolization via a patent foramen ovale following acute pulmonary embolism
Australasian Radiology, 2005
The foramen ovale is usually obliterated following establishment of the adult circulation but remains patent in 25% of individuals. This potential communication between the venous and arterial circulations can allow thromboembolic material to bypass the lungs and enter the systemic circulation. We report two cases of paradoxical embolization through a patent foramen ovale following acute large pulmonary embolism (PE) and discuss the factors that predispose to paradoxical embolization following PE.
Heart, Lung and Circulation, 2012
A 72 year-old woman was admitted with a one-week history of weakness, right limb pain and progressive breathlessness. Her blood pressure was 60/40 mmHg, ECG showed inverted T waves in the precordial leads and incomplete right bundle branch block (RBBB). Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a large serpentine mobile mass across the atrial septum and mitrale valve extending into the left ventricular cavity. The right ventricle was dilated and peak systolic tricuspid annular velocity (RV-Sm) was 6.5 cm/sn, indicate right ventricular systolic function was severely depressed. Transoesophageal echocardiography showed a large, mobile thrombus in the foramen ovale, extending into the left atrium and ventricle. As the patient was in a haemodynamically compromised condition, high dose rapid infusion of streptokinase was administered. However, the thrombus did not fully resolve with this intervention. Therefore, low dose continuous streptokinase infusion was administered for an additional 72 h resulting in full resolution of the lesion by the third day of therapy. The optimal management of impending paradoxical embolism remains unclear. Prolonged continuous thrombolytic infusion may be a option for patients who do not experience full resolution of high risk thrombi with conventional thrombolytic therapy.
Acute myocardial infarction with concomitant pulmonary embolism as a result of patent foramen ovale
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2015
Acute myocardial infarction (MI) and pulmonary embolism can alone lead to life-threatening conditions such as sudden cardiac death and congestive heart failure. We discuss a case of a 74-year-old man presented to the emergency department with acute dyspnea and chest pain. Acute anterior MI and pulmonary embolism concomitantly were diagnosed. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention performed because of preliminary acute anterior MI diagnosis. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed to determine further complications caused by acute MI because patient had a continuous tachycardia and dyspnea although hemodynamically stable. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a thrombus that was stuck into the patent foramen ovale with parts in right and left atria. Anticoagulation therapy was started; neither fibrinolytic therapy nor operation was performed because of low survey expectations of the patient's recently diagnosed primary disease stage IV lung cancer. Patient was discharged on his 20th day with oral anticoagulation and antiagregant therapy.
Journal of Cardiac Surgery, 2008
Anomalies of pulmonary veins are uncommon and vary widely in their anatomic spectrum and clinical presentation. A 20-year-old woman with complaints of effort-induced dyspnea and easy fatigability was diagnosed with a third left pulmonary vein with abnormal return and arteriovenous fistula accompanied by a secundum atrial septal defect (ASD). Complete surgical repair was performed by ASD closure with a pericardial patch and triple ligation of the left vertical vein and associated third pulmonary vein. The patient was discharged on the seventh postoperative day in good health. Her last control examination was performed in the second postoperative year, revealing normal echocardiographic findings with an excellent clinical course.
Pulmonary and paradoxical coronary embolism with a patent foramen ovale
Asian Cardiovascular and Thoracic Annals, 2018
Paradoxical embolism through a patent foramen ovale is a very unusual event considering that this cardiac anomaly may be present in as much as 26% of the general population. We describe the case of a 68-year-old man with a pulmonary and paradoxical coronary embolism in the presence of a patent foramen ovale. The finding of a worm-shaped thrombus though the atrial septum together with the risk of further embolization through the atrial septum prompted surgical treatment.