Huge left atrial thrombus and valve degeneration in a patient with a bioprosthetic, porcine, mitral valve.
A 43 year old man with a Hancock porcine bioprosthetic valve in the mitral position developed a huge thrombus filling the entire left atrium and chronic degeneration of the bioprosthetic mitral valve. The effective valve orifice was less than 2 mm. These severe findings leading to the patient's death remained undetected while he was alive. This case illustrates the great need for a serial phonoechocardiographic studies in all patients with prosthetic valves.
D000328:Adult; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D004452:Echocardiography; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008943:Mitral Valve; D010701:Phonocardiography; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology