Heart within a Heart.
- Author:
Tarun JAIN
1
;
Jainil SHAH
;
Sunay SHAH
;
Shalini MODI
Author Information
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Left atrial appendage; Transcatheter occlusion device
- MeSH: Aged; Atrial Appendage; Atrial Fibrillation; Diagnosis; Echocardiography; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular; Heart*; Humans; Male; Stroke; Thrombosis
- From:Journal of Cardiovascular Ultrasound 2016;24(1):60-63
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: Device based closure of the left atrial appendage (LAA) has emerged as a viable approach for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with contraindications to chronic oral anticoagulation. One of the most feared complications is device related thrombus formation. We present a 66-year-old male with chronic AF who developed a life-threatening intracranial bleed on oral anti-coagulation. He subsequently underwent LAA closure using an Amplatzer muscular ventricular septal defect closure device for stroke prevention. However, he was found to have a large thrombus attached to the device a year later. We present a review of the various LAA closure devices, importance of periodic surveillance via echocardiography and management options to prevent this complication. Also, the case highlights the importance of contrast-enhance echocardiography in diagnosis of LAA closure device thrombus.
