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Updated: Dec 31, 2025

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension and Assessment of Right Ventricular Function in the Piglet
Published on: November 4, 2015
Incidental finding of a left atrial thrombus during surgical management of a massive pulmonary embolism
Sarah Dunn1, Nisha Dave1, Yiliam F Rodriguez-Blanco1
1Department of Anesthesiology, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL, USA.
Abstract:
A 58-year-old male presented with a hemodynamically significant pulmonary embolism. Computed tomography angiogram revealed a saddle embolus in the main pulmonary artery with extensive clot burden affecting all lobes and right heart strain. Transthoracic echocardiogram displayed a dilated right ventricle with reduced systolic function. The patient was scheduled for pulmonary embolectomy. The intraoperative transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) demonstrated a mobile left atrial thrombus that was missed on previous imaging. After removal of the thrombi, TEE showed a patent foramen ovale (PFO). The left atrial thrombus passed across the PFO secondary to increased right heart and pulmonary pressures.
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