Intracoronary bivalirudin: a new way to appease the hostile thrombus?

Intracoronary thrombi are a common finding in the setting of acute coronary syndromes and correlate with intraprocedural complications, adverse prognosis and unpredictable response to standard pharmacological and interventional treatment. Interventional cardiologists have learned to fear the so-called hostile thrombus, with its aggressive and unstable behavior often leading to abrupt and refractory vessel closure. Here we report a case series of intracoronary bivalirudin administration to treat massive intracoronary thrombi, leading to rapid clot disappearance and coronary blood flow restoration. Interventional cardiologists might consider intracoronary bivalirudin administration as a bailout strategy during unusual critical situations.