Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg.  2004 Dec;37(12):1010-1014.

Treatment of Acute Pulmonary Thromboembolism with Left Atrial Thrombus via Atrial Septal Defect: A case report

• Kim SW
• Choi JS
• Na MH
• Yu JH
• Lim SP
• Lee Y

Abstract

Though acute pulmonary thromboembolism is usually managed medically with the use of thrombolytics or anticoagulants, an emergent life-saving surgery would be required. In a case of acute pulmonary thromboembolism with acute severe right heart failure and deferment of it could result in fatal outcomes in a short time. In addition, the mortality is raised considerably if it is combined with right heart thrombi. Despite paradoxical thromboembolism via patent foramen ovale was reported, few report might be presented, in which showed the thrombus in right atrium has traversed atrial septal defect into left atrium and left ventricle like this case as the evidence of paradoxical thromboembolism. We report a case of acute pulmonary thromboembolism with acute right heart failure arising from deep vein thrombosis, developed immediately after low anterior resection for colon cancer in a 63-year-old male, who was managed successfully by emergent thromboembolectomy with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Keyword

Pulmonary embolism; Thrombosis

MeSH Terms

Anticoagulants
Cardiopulmonary Bypass
Colonic Neoplasms
Fatal Outcome
Foramen Ovale, Patent
Heart
Heart Atria
Heart Failure
Heart Septal Defects, Atrial*
Heart Ventricles
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Mortality
Pulmonary Embolism*
Thromboembolism
Thrombosis*
Venous Thrombosis
Anticoagulants