Right heart thrombus-in-transit in a patient with Evans syndrome

Abstract

Introduction: Right heart free-floating thrombus in the absence of structural heart disease or atrial fibrillation is rare. When it travels to the heart into the lung, called thrombus-in-transit, may cause cardiopulmonary collapse and sudden death. The clinical presentation varies from mild respiratory symptoms to sudden death; however, there are few clinical case reports of giant, free-floating thrombus in the right heart in an asymptomatic patient, and the optimal management options have not been established. Patient concerns: A 36-year-old Asian woman presented to the emergency department with complaints of worsening swelling of the left lower extremity over 12 hours. Diagnosis: Left leg deep vein thrombosis accompanied by an asymptomatic giant right atrial thrombus and pulmonary embolism with a rare autoimmune disease of Evans syndrome. Interventions: Emergent surgical thrombectomy under cardiopulmonary bypass for right atrial thrombus. Outcomes: The postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged on the eighth postoperative day with normal heart function and mild tricuspid regurgitation. Conclusion: An additional diagnostic workup in cases of deep vein thrombosis is necessary for the rapid diagnosis of right heart thrombus and pulmonary embolism without delay. This case report illustrates that early recognition of venous thromboembolism and emergent thrombectomy of right heart thrombus-in-transit is crucial to prevent mortality.