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Updated: Dec 9, 2025
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Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for the Evaluation of Suspected Cardiac Thrombus: Conventional and Emerging Techniques
Published on: June 11, 2019
10.8K
Spontaneous left atrial multiseptated intramural dissecting hematoma
Vinayak Vadgaonkar1, Nooraldaem Yousif1, Shriram Sabde1
1Mohammad Bin Khalifa Cardiac Center, Royal Medical Services, Bahrain Defense Force Hospital, Riffa, Bahrain.
Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.)
|September 10, 2020
Summary
A large left atrial mass initially suspected as a heart attack was found to be a thrombus. Surgery and pathology confirmed the diagnosis, despite advanced imaging suggesting this outcome.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Pathology
Background:
- A patient presented with chest discomfort and congestive heart failure, initially presumed to be non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction.
- Further investigation revealed a large left atrial mass, prompting advanced diagnostic imaging.
Observation:
- Multimodality imaging, including echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, was used to characterize the left atrial mass.
- Despite comprehensive imaging, the exact nature of the mass remained indeterminate.
Findings:
- Surgical exploration unexpectedly uncovered a large left atrial mass containing fresh blood pockets.
- Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen definitively diagnosed the mass as a thrombus, excluding other atrial neoplasms.
Implications:
- This case highlights the diagnostic challenges posed by left atrial masses, even with advanced imaging techniques.
- It underscores the critical role of surgical intervention and histopathological analysis for definitive diagnosis in complex cardiovascular cases.
- The findings emphasize that thrombus formation can occur in the absence of typical predisposing factors.
