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Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Doppler and echocardiographic diagnosis of a free-floating left atrial thrombus
A Maltagliati1, M Pepi, C Fiorentini
1Istituto di Cardiologia, Istituto G. Sisini, Fondazione I. Monzino, University of Milan, Italy.
Insights
A rare case of left atrial thrombus in severe mitral stenosis was identified using echocardiography. Doppler imaging clarified unusual clinical findings associated with this mitral valve complication.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Severe mitral stenosis is a significant valvular heart disease.
- Left atrial thrombus formation is a known but uncommon complication.
Observation:
- A patient presented with clinical and auscultatory findings suggestive of a complex cardiac condition.
- Cross-sectional echocardiography was employed for diagnostic imaging.
Findings:
- A free-floating left atrial thrombus was diagnosed in the patient.
- Doppler echocardiography proved instrumental in elucidating the clinical presentation.
Implications:
- This case highlights the utility of advanced echocardiographic techniques in diagnosing rare cardiac complications.
- Understanding these complications aids in refining patient management strategies for mitral stenosis.
Abstract:
We report a case of a free-floating left atrial thrombus in a patient with severe mitral stenosis diagnosed by cross-sectional echocardiography. The Doppler technique was very useful in explaining some peculiar auscultatory and clinical aspects present in this rare complication of mitral valvar stenosis.
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