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Updated: Nov 3, 2025

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for the Evaluation of Suspected Cardiac Thrombus: Conventional and Emerging Techniques
Published on: June 11, 2019
Diagnosis and Treatment of Intracardiac Thrombus
Murti Patel1, Xin Wei2, Kylie Weigel3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.
Insights
Intracardiac thrombi are common, but evidence-based guidance is limited. This review covers prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment for left atrial appendage, CIED lead, bioprosthetic aortic valve, and left ventricular thrombi.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Thrombosis Research
Background:
- Intracardiac thrombi are frequently encountered in clinical practice.
- Limited evidence-based guidance exists for managing patients with intracardiac thrombi.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on intracardiac thrombus.
- To focus on four specific thrombus types with recent clinical shifts: left atrial appendage, cardiac implantable electronic device lead, bioprosthetic aortic valve, and left ventricular thrombus.
Main Methods:
- Literature review summarizing prevalence, diagnostic strategies, clinical relevance, and treatment options.
- Focus on recent research impacting clinical understanding and treatment decisions.
Main Results:
- The review synthesizes existing data on various intracardiac thrombi.
- Highlights specific findings related to the four focused thrombus types.
Conclusions:
- Further high-quality research, including prospective and randomized trials, is necessary.
- Improved evidence is needed to establish best practices for intracardiac thrombus management.
Abstract:
Intracardiac thrombi can occur in a variety of locations and are frequently encountered in clinical practice. Yet evidence-based guidance for clinicians managing patients with intracardiac thrombi is often limited. This review summarizes what is known regarding the prevalence of intracardiac thrombus, diagnostic strategies, clinical relevance, and treatment options, focusing on four specific types of thrombus for which recent research has shifted clinical understanding and treatment decisions: (1) left atrial appendage thrombus, (2) cardiac implantable electronic device lead thrombus, (3) bioprosthetic aortic valve thrombus, and (4) left ventricular thrombus. Additional studies, ideally prospective, randomized, and head-to-head in design, are needed to better inform best practices in patients with intracardiac thrombi.
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