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Left ventricular thrombus in patients with acute myocardial infarction:Case report and Caribbean focused update

Cr Potu1, Ee Tulloch-Reid, Ds Baugh

  • 1Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart Institute of the Caribbean, Kingston, Jamaica.

The Australasian Medical Journal
|September 7, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Echocardiography is crucial for diagnosing acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complications like left ventricular thrombus. This case highlights its utility in the Caribbean, showing thrombus resolution with anticoagulation.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Echocardiography use is limited in the Caribbean due to access, health literacy, and cost barriers.
  • This limits the recognition of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complications, increasing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
  • Highlighting echocardiography's clinical utility is essential for timely diagnosis in the region.

Observation:

  • A case of a large left ventricular (LV) thrombus in a patient with AMI is presented.
  • Coronary angiography revealed a completely occluded left anterior descending artery (LAD) with other vessels appearing normal.
  • Primary Angioplasty was not performed, adhering to the Occluded Artery Trial evidence.

Findings:

  • The patient received immediate anticoagulation with heparin, overlapped with warfarin.
  • Echocardiography confirmed complete resolution of the LV thrombus after three months.
  • No thrombo-embolic events were observed during the thrombus resolution period.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the importance of echocardiography in managing AMI complications, even in resource-limited settings.
  • Effective anticoagulation therapy can lead to complete resolution of LV thrombus.
  • Improved access to echocardiography in the Caribbean could enhance patient outcomes for acute coronary syndromes.

Keywords:
AnticoagulationEchocardiographyLV thrombusMyocardial infarction

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