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Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for the Evaluation of Suspected Cardiac Thrombus: Conventional and Emerging Techniques
Published on: June 11, 2019
Multiple arterial emboli secondary to left ventricular thrombus in a 35-year-old obese male
Andrew Chetwood1, Alison Sanders, Martin Saweirs
1Department of Vascular Surgery, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK.
Abstract:
The very unusual case of a 35-year-old obese male patient with a left ventricular (LV) thrombus secondary to a silent myocardial infarction and resultant shower emboli to multiple arterial sites is described. His presentation with acute limb ischemia led to arterial imaging and the identification of the underlying cardiac pathology in addition to splenic and bilateral renal infarcts. He was also found to suffer from previously undiagnosed hypertension. He underwent femoral embolectomy and multiple arterial revascularization attempts but required bilateral above knee amputations and a prolonged intensive care unit stay. This rare and extreme example of a LV thrombus in a young male emphasizes the potential sequellae of the condition. Furthermore, with the increasing incidence of obesity this case demonstrates the importance of considering undiagnosed cardiovascular risk factors when assessing obese patients.
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