Mitral valve thrombus attached to the intact mitral valve associated with distal embolism

Abstract

A 61-year-old man was referred for cardiac investigation because embolism was suspected to be the cause of the sudden onset of severe pain in his right leg after a surgical procedure. The electrocardiogram revealed no atrial fibrillation. Transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated a tumor- like echo at the anterior mitral leaflet, and transesophageal echocardiography documented a mass 13x9 mm in size, attached by a stalk to the left atrial side of the anterior mitral leaflet. The other parts of the mitral valve appeared to be intact. At emergency surgery, the mass was located in the center of the left atrial side of the anterior mitral leaflet. It mimicked a myxoma and had a stalk arising from the anterior leaflet. After resection of the mitral valve mass, catheter thrombo-embolectomy was performed and several long pieces of fresh thrombus were removed. On histological examination, the mass consisted of fresh thrombus tissue. No cellular component or myxoma tissue was documented. The distal embolus also consisted of fresh thrombus tissue. This is the first case of a thrombus of the intact mitral valve without atrial fibrillation.