title: [Floating thrombus of the right atrium in acute pulmonary embolism. Clinical, echocardiographic aspects and therapeutic sequelae].
abstract: The performance of a systematic sonocardiography in all our patients hospitalized since January 1985 for pulmonary embolism, has enabled to discover five cases of floating thrombus of the right atrium. Three patients presented an abnormal auscultation, with one of them presenting a tricuspid wedge syndrome. On the sonogram, the aspect of the thrombus, "coil or ball-shaped", floating in the atrial cavity, sometimes prolapsed through the tricuspid valve, associated with the signs of a pulmonary heart, enables to rule out other right intraatrial masses. Pulmonary angiography seems contra-indicated because of the risk of embolus of this thrombus, the migration of which may be fatal. Embolectomy, under extra-corporeal circulation (heart-lung pump) with examination of the right cavities appears to be the treatment of choice.
authors.affiliation: Service de Cardiologie, CHU Robert-Debré, Reims.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Taupin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chapoutot
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Metz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ouzan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pollet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elaerts
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bajolet
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications*; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery
vernacular_title: Thrombus flottant de l'oreillette droite dans l'embolie pulmonaire aiguë. Aspects cliniques, échocardiographiques et incidences thérapeutiques.