Incidental finding of a pulmonary embolus by intracardiac echocardiography during an atrial fibrillation ablation procedure.
A 71-year-old female patient was referred for catheter ablation of drug-refractory, symptomatic atrial fibrillation. Initial intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) incidentally showed a mobile embolus stuck at a bifurcation of the right pulmonary artery. The procedure was suspended and the finding was subsequently confirmed by computed tomography pulmonary angiography. This case illustrates a potential value of real-time imaging by ICE during invasive procedures.
Asbach
Stefan
S
Medizinische Klinik III, Kardiologie und Angiologie, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Hugstetter Str 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany. stefan.asbach@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Biermann
Jürgen
J
Blanke
Philipp
P
Pache
Gregor
G
Bode
Christoph
C
Faber
Thomas S
TS
D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*