Case report of a 'snake thrombus' in the right heart: a rare finding on echocardiography

A right heart thrombus originating from an inferior vena cava thrombosis (IVCT) is a rare entity. In accordance with venous thromboembolism (VTE), IVCT can be categorized as primary or secondary. Secondary ICVT can be the result of a predisposing hypercoagulable state and/or from external compression on the inferior vena cava (IVC) such as in case of malignancies. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC), amongst others, has been described in the context of secondary IVCT.

An 80-year-old man was presented in our emergency department with complaints of dyspnoea and oedema. Echocardiography revealed a large snake-like thrombus in the IVC extending into the right atrium. Subsequent computed tomography resulted in a diagnosis of an RCC. The patient was considered to be in too poor clinical condition for surgical removal. In the next days, his condition deteriorated, after which palliative care was initiated and the patient deceased at day 12 of admission.

A right heart thrombus is a rare finding during echocardiography. This case demonstrates an incidental finding of a 'snake thrombus' in the IVC and right heart secondary to RCC. This case illustrates the importance and additional value of echocardiography in the setting of suspected right-sided heart failure.