Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Heart Journal logoLink to British Heart Journal
. 1991 Mar;65(3):163–165. doi: 10.1136/hrt.65.3.163

Impending paradoxical embolism: a rare but important diagnosis.

M E Speechly-Dick 1, S J Middleton 1, R A Foale 1
PMCID: PMC1024543  PMID: 2015127

Abstract

A man aged 50 presented with a history of a cerebrovascular accident and arterial embolism at two discrete peripheral sites. Echocardiography showed thrombus trapped in an interatrial site and impending paradoxical embolism was diagnosed. Treatment with heparin was started and the potentially embolic intracardiac material was removed at open heart surgery. The patient was treated with warfarin and made a good recovery. This is only the third case report of impending paradoxical embolism diagnosed in life.

Full text

PDF
163

Images in this article

164Image
on p.164
165Image
on p.165

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Caplan L. R., Hier D. B., D'Cruz I. Cerebral embolism in the Michael Reese Stroke Registry. Stroke. 1983 Jul-Aug;14(4):530–536. doi: 10.1161/01.str.14.4.530. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. JOHNSON B. I. Paradoxical embolism. J Clin Pathol. 1951 Aug;4(3):316–332. doi: 10.1136/jcp.4.3.316. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Jungbluth A., Erbel R., Darius H., Rumpelt H. J., Meyer J. Paradoxical coronary embolism: case report and review of the literature. Am Heart J. 1988 Sep;116(3):879–885. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(88)90356-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Lang I., Steurer G., Weissel M., Burghuber O. C. Recurrent paradoxical embolism complicating severe thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Eur Heart J. 1988 Jun;9(6):678–681. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.eurheartj.a062561. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Laughlin R. A., Mandel S. R. Paradoxical embolization. Case report and review of the literature. Arch Surg. 1977 May;112(5):648–650. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1977.01370050108019. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Leonard R. C., Neville E., Hall R. J. Paradoxical embolism associated with patent foramen ovale. Postgrad Med J. 1981 Nov;57(673):717–718. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.57.673.717. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Leonard R. C., Neville E., Hall R. J. Paradoxical embolism associated with patent foramen ovale. Postgrad Med J. 1981 Nov;57(673):717–718. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.57.673.717. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Leonard R. C., Neville E., Hall R. J. Paradoxical embolism. A review of cases diagnosed during life. Eur Heart J. 1982 Aug;3(4):362–370. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.eurheartj.a061319. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Loscalzo J. Paradoxical embolism: clinical presentation, diagnostic strategies, and therapeutic options. Am Heart J. 1986 Jul;112(1):141–145. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(86)90692-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Meister S. G., Grossman W., Dexter L., Dalen J. E. Paradoxical embolism. Diagnosis during life. Am J Med. 1972 Sep;53(3):292–298. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(72)90171-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Meister S. G., Grossman W., Dexter L., Dalen J. E. Paradoxical embolism. Diagnosis during life. Am J Med. 1972 Sep;53(3):292–298. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(72)90171-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Nabseth D. C., Moran J. M. Reassessment of the role of inferior-vena-cava ligation in venous thromboembolism. N Engl J Med. 1965 Dec 2;273(23):1250–1253. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196512022732305. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nellessen U., Daniel W. G., Matheis G., Oelert H., Depping K., Lichtlen P. R. Impending paradoxical embolism from atrial thrombus: correct diagnosis by transesophageal echocardiography and prevention by surgery. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1985 Apr;5(4):1002–1004. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(85)80449-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Schlüter M., Langenstein B. A., Polster J., Kremer P., Souquet J., Engel S., Hanrath P. Transoesophageal cross-sectional echocardiography with a phased array transducer system. Technique and initial clinical results. Br Heart J. 1982 Jul;48(1):67–72. doi: 10.1136/hrt.48.1.67. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Heart Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES