Identification of right atrial thrombi using transoesophageal echocardiography

The in vivo diagnosis of right atrial thrombus is difficult by transthoracic echocardiography and it is likely that small thrombi are underdiagnosed using this approach. Transoesophageal echocardiography provides an unobstructed view of cardiac structures and the great vessels. In this report we describe the findings in five patients with right atrial thrombi that illustrate the potential usefulness of transoesophageal echocardiography for both the initial diagnosis and the subsequent management of these patients.