Mural Thrombi

Excerpt

Mural thrombi are thrombi that attach to the wall of a blood vessel and cardiac chamber. Mural thrombus occurrence in a normal or minimally atherosclerotic vessel is a rare entity in the absence of a hypercoagulative state or inflammatory, infectious, or familial aortic ailments. Mural thrombi can be seen in large vessels such as the heart and aorta and can restrict blood flow. They are mostly located in the descending aorta, and less commonly, in the aortic arch or the abdominal aorta. Mural thrombi can invade any cardiac chamber. Left ventricular thrombus is a frequent complication of acute myocardial infarction, mostly with the involvement of the cardiac apex. This thrombus can separate from the ventricle and travel through arteries, blocking any blood vessels.