Free-floating Ball Thrombus in the Left Atrium after Mitral Valve Replacement

摘要

A 69-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with abdominal pain and melena. The patient had a history of mitral valve replacement and chronic atrial fibrillation. A computed tomographic scan revealed acute embolic superior mesenteric ischemia. Transthoracic echocar-diography to find the embolic source revealed a free-floating ball thrombus in the left atrium. The thrombus was successfully removed by means of open-heart surgery after thrombolytic therapy for the superior mesenteric artery.