Atrial thrombosis: Not only left, think also about right!

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in the general population. Systemic thromboembolism from left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombosis is a well-known complication of AF, whereas thromboembolic complications from a right atrial (RA) thrombus are infrequent. Nevertheless, the prevalence of RA thrombosis is debated; despite having a low prevalence in echocardiographic studies, the higher prevalence found in autoptic studies rises the hypothesis of an under detection of RA clots, possibly related to the limited evaluation of right atrial appendage (RAA) with non-invasive imaging. Here we present a review of the current literature about RA thrombosis, regarding its diagnosis, differentials, and best treatment options.