Expeditious diagnosis of mechanical valve thrombosis and exclusion of other diagnostic considerations, often with incorporation of multimodality imaging, can inform the best treatment strategy. Presentation of mechanical valve thrombosis can be asymptomatic or can include heart failure, life-threatening embolic events, or cardiogenic shock. Echocardiography, fluoroscopy and computed tomography are important in the evaluation of mechanical valve dysfunction. Therapeutic strategies for thrombosis include anticoagulation, systemic thrombolysis, and surgery. Choice of treatment depends on multiple factors including thrombus size, degree of valve dysfunction, clinical presentation, and available surgical expertise.
Keyphrases
- aortic valve
- pulmonary embolism
- mitral valve
- aortic stenosis
- computed tomography
- heart failure
- left ventricular
- transcatheter aortic valve replacement
- oxidative stress
- atrial fibrillation
- magnetic resonance imaging
- minimally invasive
- high resolution
- ejection fraction
- positron emission tomography
- venous thromboembolism
- coronary artery bypass
- photodynamic therapy