Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026
04:29
Three-Dimensional Modeling of the Left Atrium and Pulmonary Veins with a Precise Intracardiac Echocardiography Approach
Published on: June 30, 2023
A billiard ball in the left atrium
Thomas P Carrigan1, Salman Azam, Claire Sullivan
1University Hospitals, Case Medical Center Harrington Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland, OH 44106-5038, USA.
Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.)
|March 13, 2012
Summary
A large left atrial thrombus caused syncope in an elderly woman by obstructing her mitral valve. Real-time 3D transesophageal echocardiography effectively visualized this intracardiac mass.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Elderly patients with heart failure and mechanical valves are at risk for intracardiac masses.
- Syncope can be a symptom of critical cardiac events.
Observation:
- An 84-year-old woman presented with syncope and a newly detected intracardiac mass.
- Transthoracic echocardiogram showed a mass absent 5 months prior.
- Real-time 3D transesophageal echocardiography visualized a "billiard-ball" mass.
Findings:
- The intracardiac mass was identified as a large left atrial thrombus.
- The thrombus transiently obstructed the mitral valve orifice, causing syncope.
Implications:
- Real-time 3D transesophageal echocardiography is valuable for diagnosing intracardiac masses.
- Prompt diagnosis and management of left atrial thrombus are crucial in patients with heart failure.
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