Ultrasound Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ultrasound, including details on screening, diagnosis, pregnancy, detection.

Thrombus of the ascending aorta: a rare cause of myocardial infarction.

Wolfsohn AL, So DY, Chan K, Burwash I, Hendry P, Veinot JP, Labinaz M

Division of Anatomical Pathology, Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1Y 4E9. awolfsohn@ottawahospital.on.ca

We present two cases of a thrombus in the ascending aorta causing an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and review the 10 other cases previously reported in the literature. This life-threatening condition appears to be more common in female smokers in their fifth decade. Suspicion should be raised in individuals at low risk for atherosclerotic disease with coronary angiographic findings not in keeping with the clinical presentation. The diagnosis may be obtained by transesophageal echocardiography, and we generally recommend surgical thrombectomy.

Published 12 July 2005 in Cardiovasc Pathol, 14(4): 214-8.
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