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Cardiac thromboemboli complicating a stab wound to the heart

Nikole A Neidlinger1, Nancy Puzziferri, Gregory P Victorino

  • 1Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco East Bay, Oakland, CA 94602, USA.

Cardiovascular Pathology : the Official Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Pathology
|February 6, 2004
PubMed

Insights

A patient developed stroke-like symptoms after heart surgery for a penetrating injury. Doctors found a blood clot in the heart, causing the emboli, a rare complication of this type of trauma.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Trauma Surgery

Background:

  • Penetrating cardiac injuries require surgical repair (cardiorrhaphy).
  • Systemic emboli can cause neurological deficits.
  • Intracardiac thrombus formation is a known complication, particularly after blunt trauma.

Observation:

  • A 27-year-old man presented with neurological deficits 4 days post-cardiorrhaphy for a penetrating cardiac injury.
  • Cerebral CT revealed multiple embolic infarcts.
  • Two-dimensional echocardiography identified left ventricular thrombus as the source.

Findings:

  • This case highlights intracardiac thrombus formation and subsequent systemic embolization following penetrating cardiac trauma and repair.
  • This complication has not been previously documented in association with penetrating cardiac injuries.

Implications:

  • Intracardiac thrombus with systemic emboli should be considered in patients with neurological deficits after cardiorrhaphy for penetrating trauma.
  • Early diagnosis and management are crucial to prevent further embolic events.
  • This finding expands the understanding of potential complications following cardiac trauma surgery.

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