title: Myocardial infarction due to paradoxical embolism in a patient with large atrial septal defect.
abstract: We present the case of a patient who presented with acute inferior myocardial infarction and embolic occlusion of the distal left anterior descending and proximal right coronary artery. A large atrial septal defect (ASD) was seen on transesophageal echocardiography and the ASD was closed during the same session as coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention. The presence of embolic or thrombotic occlusions of coronary arteries should prompt interventional cardiologists to look for a patent foramen ovale or ASD and perform percutaneous closure right away.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Florim
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cuculi
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Togni
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meier
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003328:Coronary Thrombosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D055989:Septal Occluder Device; D016896:Treatment Outcome