Percutaneous cardiopulmonary support for the treatment of right ventricular thrombus

The management of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) remains controversial, despite an improved understanding of its pathogenesis and diagnosis. Haemodynamic instability due to right ventricular failure and hypoxia following PE is associated with a high mortality rate. This report describes a case of a 22-year-old woman with leukaemia in which percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) was used as an adjunct to thrombolytic therapy in the treatment of right ventricular thrombus with acute PE. The patient has since undergone regular follow-up on an outpatient basis without showing any recurrence of thromboembolism at 2 years postoperatively. This experience suggests that supportive PCPS may provide favourable clinical outcomes in high-risk patients with severe PE.