Thrombus entrapped by patent foramen ovale in a patient with pulmonary embolism: a case report

• Main Authors: Sang Beom Nam, Chan Mi Kim, Sung-Ah Cho, Sungchan Chung, Yon Hee Shim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Society of Anesthesiologists 2015-02-01
• Series: Korean Journal of Anesthesiology
• Subjects: echocardiography; patent foramen ovale; pulmonary embolism
• Online Access: http://ekja.org/upload/pdf/kjae-68-70.pdf

Thrombus-in-transit appears to increase the risk of mortality compared to pulmonary embolism alone and can require alteration in therapeutic plan. We present the case of a biatrial thromboembolus caught in transit across a patent foramen ovale diagnosed by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiogram in a 69-year-old female with acute pulmonary embolism and subsequent acute cerebral infarction. We suggest that echocardiography should be performed in a patient with suspected pulmonary thromboembolism to evaluate right heart function and diagnose emboli in transit.