Successful thrombolysis after prosthetic pulmonary valve obstruction under aspirin monotherapy

In a 22-year-old woman with recent onset of left-sided chest pain and exertional dyspnea, echocardiography revealed obstruction of a St. Jude Medical bileaflet prosthetic valve (size 23 mm) in the pulmonary position. Oral anticoagulation had been replaced for the previous 7 years by aspirin as the sole antithrombotic treatment. The valve had been inserted 16 years ago for pulmonary atresia. Valve function was restored by systemic application of 9 million units of urokinase.