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Published on: February 16, 2016
Rapid disappearance of left ventricular mass (presumed thrombus) in a patient with cardiomyopathy
Insights
A left ventricular thrombus resolved spontaneously in a patient with cardiomyopathy and liver insufficiency. Increased fibrinolysis, potentially aided by heparin, is the likely cause, not embolization.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hematology
- Hepatology
Background:
- Cardiomyopathy and hepatic insufficiency present complex clinical challenges.
- Left ventricular thrombus formation is a known complication in certain cardiac conditions.
Observation:
- A 41-year-old male with diagnosed cardiomyopathy and hepatic insufficiency presented with a left ventricular mass on angiocardiography, presumed to be a thrombus.
- A follow-up angiocardiogram five days later revealed complete resolution of the thrombus.
Findings:
- The spontaneous disappearance of the left ventricular thrombus suggests a hyperfibrinolytic state.
- This is consistent with fibrinolysis observed in patients with liver cirrhosis, possibly augmented by heparin therapy.
Implications:
- This case highlights the potential for spontaneous thrombus resolution in the left ventricle under specific physiological conditions.
- Understanding the role of fibrinolysis in such cases may inform future therapeutic strategies for cardiac thrombi.
- Further research into the mechanisms of spontaneous thrombus resolution could offer novel insights into anticoagulation and thrombolysis.
Abstract:
A man aged 41 years with a clinical diagnosis of cardiomyopathy and hepatic insufficiency was found, on angiocardiography, to have a mass, presumably a thrombus, within the left ventricle. A second angiocardiogram performed five days later showed that the thrombus had disappeared. The mechanism invoked was more probably an increase of spontaneous fibrinolysis as described in cirrhotic patients, perhaps helped by heparin, rather than ejection of the mass from the ventricle with silent embolisation somewhere in the systemic circulation.
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