Surgical management of a free-floating thrombus in the ascending aorta.

Authors :: Campanile A
Sardone M
Pasquino S
Cagini A
Di Manici G
Cavallini C
Source :: Asian cardiovascular & thoracic annals [Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann] 2019 Mar; Vol. 27 (3), pp. 221-223. Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 Sep 24.
Publication Year :: 2019
Abstract: The ascending aorta is an uncommon site of noninfective thrombus. We describe the case of a 63-year-old woman who was admitted to our department with acute myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography showed occlusion of a small diagonal vessel, likely related to a distal embolization event. A transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a free-floating mass in the proximal ascending aorta. Two-and 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography studies were performed, and after a multidisciplinary heart team discussion, surgical removal of the mass was planned and successfully performed through a median sternotomy on cardiopulmonary bypass.