Prosthetic Aortic Valve Thrombosis Complicated by Left Main Coronary Artery Bifurcation Embolism: Case Report and Review of Literature

Cardiovasc Revasc Med. 2021 Jul:28S:72-74. doi: 10.1016/j.carrev.2021.03.021. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Abstract

Coronary embolism due to prosthetic valve thrombosis is a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome. We report the challenging case of a 66-year-old female patient with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction caused by left main coronary artery bifurcation embolism in the setting of mechanical aortic valve thrombosis. The patient was treated with intravenous thrombolysis. Four hours later, she suffered an anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction due to left anterior descending artery embolization. Repeat coronary angiogram showed complete disappearance of the LMCA embolus with only distal LAD occlusion. The patient was further treated medically with excellent outcome.

Keywords: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS); Coronary embolism (CE); Mechanical heart valve (MHV); Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT).

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aortic Valve / diagnostic imaging
  • Aortic Valve / surgery
  • Coronary Vessels
  • Embolism* / diagnostic imaging
  • Embolism* / etiology
  • Embolism* / therapy
  • Female
  • Heart Valve Prosthesis*
  • Humans
  • Thrombosis* / diagnostic imaging
  • Thrombosis* / etiology
  • Thrombosis* / therapy