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Floating thrombus in the left upper pulmonary vein dissolved by dabigatran
1Nagasakiken Tomie Hospital, Goto, Japan.
BMJ Case Reports
|October 11, 2013
Summary
Pulmonary vein thrombosis (PVT) is rare but serious. A case study shows dabigatran effectively dissolved a pulmonary vein thrombus, confirmed by 64-slice multidetector CT (64-MDCT) scans.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Radiology
Background:
- Pulmonary vein thrombosis (PVT) is a rare, life-threatening condition.
- Warfarin is used for atrial fibrillation (AF)-related stroke prevention but has limitations.
- Dabigatran is a novel oral anticoagulant for AF, with uncertain efficacy for PVT.
Observation:
- A 73-year-old male presented with chest pain.
- A 64-slice multidetector CT (64-MDCT) scan revealed a left upper pulmonary vein thrombus.
- Coronary artery stenosis was ruled out.
Findings:
- The patient received 3 months of dabigatran therapy.
- Follow-up 64-MDCT scans confirmed complete resolution of the pulmonary vein thrombus.
- This is the first reported case of dabigatran dissolving PVT.
Implications:
- Dabigatran may be an effective treatment for pulmonary vein thrombosis.
- 64-MDCT is valuable for diagnosing and monitoring PVT.
- Further research is warranted to confirm dabigatran's role in managing PVT.
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