Right atrial appendage thrombus in a patient with a left atrial appendage occlusion device

Arindam Sharma; Akshay Machanahalli Balakrishna; Arunima Sharma; Terrence Slattery

doi:10.1080/08998280.2022.2065104

Right atrial appendage thrombus in a patient with a left atrial appendage occlusion device

Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2022 Apr 27;35(4):520-521. doi: 10.1080/08998280.2022.2065104. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Arindam Sharma¹, Akshay Machanahalli Balakrishna², Arunima Sharma³, Terrence Slattery⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cardiology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska.
³ Department of Endocrinology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
⁴ Department of Cardiology, CHI Health, Omaha, Nebraska.

Abstract

Management of right atrial appendage (RAA) thrombus is a clinical dilemma. We describe a case of incidentally found RAA thrombus in a patient with a left atrial appendage closure device (WATCHMAN). Options for the management of RAA thrombus include observation, anticoagulation, thrombolytics, or surgical extraction. Size, mobility, site of attachment of the thrombi, patient factors (e.g., bleeding risk), and other indications for anticoagulation may be used to guide management.

Keywords: Anticoagulation; WATCHMAN; atrial fibrillation; left atrial occlusion; thrombus.

Publication types

Case Reports