Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Oct 26, 2020; 8(20): 4902-4907
Published online Oct 26, 2020. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v8.i20.4902
Thrombus straddling a patent foramen ovale and pulmonary embolism: A case report
Yi-Xiong Huang, Yu Chen, Yi Cao, Yi-Gang Qiu, Jian-Yong Zheng, Tian-Chang Li
Yi-Xiong Huang, Yu Chen, Yi Cao, Yi-Gang Qiu, Jian-Yong Zheng, Tian-Chang Li, Department of Cardiology, Sixth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
Author contributions: Each author has contributed significantly to the submitted work; Huang YX and Cao Y were in charge of this patient; Qiu YG placed inferior vena cava filter for the patient; Huang YX drafted the manuscript; Chen Y and Zheng JY critically revised it for important intellectual content; Li TC, the corresponding author of this manuscript, finally approved the manuscript submitted; All authors have read and approve the final manuscript.
Supported by The Application of Clinical Features of Capital City of Science and Technology Commission China Beijing Special Subject, No. Z151100004015205.
Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Nothing to disclose.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Tian-Chang Li, MD, PhD, Chief Physician, Department of Cardiology, Sixth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, No. 6 Fucheng Road, Beijing 100048, China. ltc909@163.com
Received: April 22, 2020
Peer-review started: April 22, 2020
First decision: August 8, 2020
Revised: August 20, 2020
Accepted: September 10, 2020
Article in press: September 10, 2020
Published online: October 26, 2020
Processing time: 186 Days and 6.5 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Thrombus straddling a patent foramen ovale is a life-threatening condition that is usually complicated with pulmonary embolism. We present a rare case of deep venous thrombosis, concomitant with pulmonary embolism and transient ischemic attack. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a large thrombus straddling the patent foramen ovale. There was no significant predisposing factor for thromboembolism except the sedentary lifestyle of the young patient. This case highlights the crucial role of echocardiography in a patient with pulmonary embolism. Identifying intracardiac thrombi may modify the strategies of thromboembolic disease. Moreover, a vigorous lifestyle should be recommended for avoiding thrombotic disaster among young adults.