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[Native aortic valve thrombus revealed by routine echocardiography: a case report]
Journal of Cardiology
|November 20, 1997
Summary
A mobile aortic valve mass was identified as an organized thrombus in a patient with atrial flutter. This rare finding highlights native aortic valve thrombus as a crucial consideration in diagnosing aortic valve masses.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pathology
Background:
- Atrial flutter can be associated with cardiac masses.
- Aortic valve masses require thorough differential diagnosis.
Observation:
- A 75-year-old male presented with palpitations and was found to have a 17 mm mobile mass on the non-coronary cusp of his aortic valve.
- Imaging revealed no hypercoagulable state but showed evidence of prior cerebral infarction.
- The mass was surgically removed, and the native aortic valve was preserved due to lack of organic changes.
Findings:
- Histological examination confirmed the aortic valve mass to be an organized thrombus.
- This represents one of the few reported cases of thrombus attached to a normal native aortic valve.
Implications:
- Native aortic valve thrombus is an important, albeit rare, differential diagnosis for aortic valve masses.
- This case underscores the need to consider thromboembolic events even in the absence of a hypercoagulable state when evaluating aortic valve masses.