title: The clot thickens: unusual presentation of a left atrial thrombus.
abstract: Left atrial thrombi are a significant cause of cardioembolic morbidity and mortality. Transesophageal echocardiography is the preferred method for complete visualization of atrial thrombi, and has a sensitivity and specificity of up to 100% and 99%, respectively. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging has been shown to be useful in identifying tissue characteristics that may aid in differentiating between atrial myxoma and thrombi. This is an unusual case of a large, free-floating atrial thrombus with a cystic appearance that was surgically removed. The echocardiographic appearance of the cystic atrial mass led to the consideration of another potential etiology for a cardiac mass, namely, atrial myxoma. Histopathologic analyses of the mass led to the final diagnosis of an atrial thrombus.
authors: Stephen F
authors: SF
authors: Lau
authors: James S
authors: JS
authors: Hood
authors: Dorinna D
authors: DD
authors: Mendoza
authors: Carolyn Yi
authors: CY
authors: Li
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Ansari
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center, Oakland, CA; Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA; Department of Cardiology, Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center, Oakland, CA; Department of Pathology, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA; Department of Cardiology, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.
authors: Jamal S
authors: JS
authors: Rana