In vivo right heart thrombus. Precursor of life-threatening pulmonary embolism

This report describes three cases of massive mobile right heart thrombus and reviews the available literature to better define the pathophysiology, natural history and most appropriate therapy of the syndrome. The clinical presentation of most patients has been severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction and the diagnosis has been made by echocardiographic study. The most likely source of these cardiac thrombi is the large systemic veins. The associated mortality risk is very high. Therapy has, heretofore, been individualized. Embolectomy has been most favored, with a survival rate of 80 percent. The role of thrombolytic therapy remains to be delineated. Therapy should, however, be initiated rapidly because of the precipitous nature of the mortality risk.