Left Ventricular Thrombus and Cardioembolic Stroke in a Patient with Ulcerative Colitis: A Case Report

Robotic transmitral resection of floating left ventricular thrombus

Despite the role of surgery in the management of left ventricular (LV) thrombi remaining controversial, robotic LV thrombectomy has emerged as a viable treatment option. This study aimed to present our successful experience with a robotic mitral program, detailing the operative technique. We conducted a retrospective analysis of our institutional database to identify patients who underwent LV thrombectomy using the da Vinci robot system. Subsequently, serial echocardiograms and short- and long-term outcomes were reviewed and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Five patients (median age: 46 years) were included in this study. All patients presented with a floating LV thrombus and a history of embolization. Among them, four patients experienced reduced heart function, none had coronary artery disease, three experienced dilated cardiomyopathy. Complete resection was achieved in all cases, with no postoperative deaths, strokes, or major complications. In addition, LV function showed improvement during follow-up periods. Postoperative anticoagulation was continued for 2 years in one patient and 1 year in the remaining patients. No recurrence or further embolic events were observed during the median follow-up period of 6 years. Robotic LV thrombectomy yields excellent outcomes and should be considered early for patients with floating LV thrombi. However, further investigation is warranted to determine the optimal timing of this intervention and its role in the treatment paradigm, including whether these results can be extrapolated to patients with other forms of mobile thrombus and/or to support surgery as the primary prevention of systemic embolization.

Left ventricle pedunculated thrombi risks and outcomes: a case report and literature review

A 42-year-old male with ischemic cardiomyopathy presented with acute bilateral femoral artery embolization. After management with embolectomy and fasciotomy in both femoral arteries, transthoracic echocardiography revealed two pedunculated highly mobile left ventricle (LV) thrombi. Given the procedural risk, anticoagulation therapy was recommended over surgery. However, the bleeding risk impeded the continuation of anticoagulation, which increased the thrombus size. Multiorgan failure and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy followed and the patient died. We also systematically reviewed the PubMed and Scopus databases for pedunculated LV thrombi cases and retrieved 74 and 63 reports respectively. Of these, 37 relevant reports (45 cases) plus 11 reports from the manual search were included for data extraction, a total of 56 cases besides our case. Based on the etiologies and risks, LV thrombi are predictable and preventable, especially after ischemic events. A clear diagnostic algorithm and vigilant follow-up are needed as well as multidisciplinary management once a diagnosis is confirmed.