Right atrial embolus. Echocardiographic features

Although the value of echocardiography in detecting left heart thrombus is well recognised, right atrial thromboembolism has rarely been identified in life. In two patients with pulmonary embolism of varying severity cross sectional echocardiography identified a thrombus moving freely within the right atrium and clearly showed its string-like or even tubular structure. An embolectomy, based on the echocardiographic diagnosis, was undertaken successfully in one patient. The value of routine echocardiography in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism is yet to be confirmed.