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Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 26, 2013
Resolution of Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus with Apixaban in a Patient with Heart Failure
Takenori Okada1, Yuji Takaekou1, Naomi Idei1
1Department of Cardiology, Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital & Atomic-bomb Survivors Hospital, Japan.
Abstract:
The effect of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants on left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus has not been fully elucidated. There are a few reports showing resolution of LAA thrombus with apixaban. An 84-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure and marked tachycardia with atrial fibrillation. She had permanent atrial fibrillation and was treated with warfarin; however, transthoracic echocardiography revealed a non-mobile thrombus in the LAA. Therefore, we switched warfarin to apixaban at a dose of 5 mg/day. After two weeks on that therapy, the thrombus in the LAA was successfully resolved.
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