Early thrombosis of a tricuspid valve prosthesis: two-dimensional echocardiographic demonstration

We report on the case of a 35-year-old woman who had undergone tricuspid valve replacement with a Lillehei-Kaster prosthesis 7 weeks prior to admission to our institution. Real-time two-dimensional echocardiography indicated a large mass on the inferolateral surface of the right atrium, as well as a dense band of echoes on the atrial and ventricular surfaces of the prosthesis. The diagnosis, confirmed by angiography, was early, acute thrombosis of the tilting disc prosthesis. After an unsuccessful infusion of urokinase, the patient was taken to emergency surgery; at operation, a large thrombus was discovered on the inferolateral wall, and the valve replaced. The patient recovered uneventfully, with no recurrence of thrombosis. Our experience confirms that two-dimensional echocardiography is the preferred technique for identifying intracardiac thrombi, and that surgery with replacement of the prosthesis is the treatment of choice in cases such as this where the size and age of the clot contraindicate fibrinolytic treatment.