Systemic thromboembolism in endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF): clinical observations, aetio-pathogenesis and treatment

Mural thrombi and thromboemboli are very common in idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES), whose cardiac pathology is indistinguishable from endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF). Although mural thrombi are common in EMF cases, and post mortem embolic infarcts are frequently seen; clinical recognition of thromboembolism in EMF is unusual. We report here 4 cases of clinically recognized thromboembolism among 106 consecutive cases of EMF (including a case with a sudden onset of vascular occlusion and a below knee infarction and auto-amputation of the right leg). Two of the 4 cases had hypereosinophilia that was probably induced by microfilaria. The mechanisms of mural thrombosis and thromboembolic infarcts in EMF cases are discussed, and the possibility shown that helminth induced eosinophilic myocarditis can induce similar acute mural thrombosis and thromboembolism. The place of anticoagulant therapy in EMF is discussed.