Thromboembolus crossing patent foramen ovale: Appearance in multislice computed tomography and echocardiography

Abstract

A 31-year-old woman was referred to our hospital due to progressive dyspnea and a family history of pulmonary embolism. Multislice computed tomography depicted massive bilateral pulmonary embolism, and transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated a serpentine structure in both atria with the appearance of a thrombus. Furthermore, a highly mobile mass trapped in her patent foramen ovale was identified. She underwent emergency cardiac embolectomy and was discharged from our hospital with conventional anticoagulant therapy. © 2012 The Editorial Committee of Annals of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. All rights reserved.