European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Advance Access published March 1, 2015
Cite this article as: Lembcke A, Grubitzsch H, Hein PA. Pulmonary embolism and thrombus-in-transit crossing a patent foramen ovale: comprehensive diagnosis using cardiac multislice computed tomography. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2015; doi:10.1093/ejcts/ezv088.
Pulmonary embolism and thrombus-in-transit crossing a patent foramen ovale: comprehensive diagnosis using cardiac multislice computed tomography Alexander Lembckea,*, Herko Grubitzschb and Patrick A. Heina a b
Department of Radiology, Charité – University Medicine Berlin, Institut für Radiologie, Berlin, Germany Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Charité – University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
* Corresponding author. Department of Radiology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institut für Radiologie, Charité Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany. Tel: +49-30-450627348; fax: +49-30-450527905; e-mail: [email protected] (A. Lembcke). Received 2 January 2015; accepted 4 February 2015
Keywords: Computed tomography • Embolism • Heart • Pulmonary arteries
A 48-year old man had experienced syncope and complained about intense chest pain and dyspnoea. Electrocardiogram-gated, contrast-enhanced, multislice computed tomography demonstrated the aorta and coronary arteries without abnormalities but revealed multiple pulmonary emboli as well as impending paradoxical embolism from a floating thrombus entrapped in a patent foramen ovale (Fig. 1).
Figure 1: Images show multiple filling defects in the pulmonary arteries (A–H, arrowheads), consecutive enlargement of the right ventricle with flattening of the interventricular septum (D and F, asterisk) and marked dilatation of the left atrium with leftward bowing of the interatrial septum (F and H, curved arrow). Images also show a spherical thrombus in the right atrium (F–H, large arrow) and a vermicular extension of the thrombus crossing the interatrial septum at the site of a persistent patent foramen ovale, with a free-floating tip in the left atrium (E, G and H, small arrows).
© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.
IMAGES IN CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY
IMAGES IN CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY
European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (2015) 1–1 doi:10.1093/ejcts/ezv088
Cite this article as: Lembcke A, Grubitzsch H, Hein PA. Pulmonary embolism and thrombus-in-transit crossing a patent foramen ovale: comprehensive diagnosis using cardiac multislice computed tomography. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2015; doi:10.1093/ejcts/ezv088.
Pulmonary embolism and thrombus-in-transit crossing a patent foramen ovale: comprehensive diagnosis using cardiac multislice computed tomography Alexander Lembckea,*, Herko Grubitzschb and Patrick A. Heina a b
Department of Radiology, Charité – University Medicine Berlin, Institut für Radiologie, Berlin, Germany Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Charité – University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
* Corresponding author. Department of Radiology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institut für Radiologie, Charité Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany. Tel: +49-30-450627348; fax: +49-30-450527905; e-mail: [email protected] (A. Lembcke). Received 2 January 2015; accepted 4 February 2015
Keywords: Computed tomography • Embolism • Heart • Pulmonary arteries
A 48-year old man had experienced syncope and complained about intense chest pain and dyspnoea. Electrocardiogram-gated, contrast-enhanced, multislice computed tomography demonstrated the aorta and coronary arteries without abnormalities but revealed multiple pulmonary emboli as well as impending paradoxical embolism from a floating thrombus entrapped in a patent foramen ovale (Fig. 1).
Figure 1: Images show multiple filling defects in the pulmonary arteries (A–H, arrowheads), consecutive enlargement of the right ventricle with flattening of the interventricular septum (D and F, asterisk) and marked dilatation of the left atrium with leftward bowing of the interatrial septum (F and H, curved arrow). Images also show a spherical thrombus in the right atrium (F–H, large arrow) and a vermicular extension of the thrombus crossing the interatrial septum at the site of a persistent patent foramen ovale, with a free-floating tip in the left atrium (E, G and H, small arrows).
© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.
IMAGES IN CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY
IMAGES IN CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY
European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (2015) 1–1 doi:10.1093/ejcts/ezv088
