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Case Reports
. 2007;34(2):225-9.

Right-to-left interatrial shunt with hypoxemia caused by a right atrial thrombus

Franco Vargas-Beal  1 , Stephanie A Coulter, Sai Yendamuri, Ariadna Contreras, J Michael Duncan
Affiliations
Case Reports

Right-to-left interatrial shunt with hypoxemia caused by a right atrial thrombus

Franco Vargas-Beal et al. Tex Heart Inst J. 2007.

Abstract

A right-to-left shunt in the presence of normal pulmonary artery pressure is an unusual cause of hypoxemia in an adult who has a patent foramen ovale. We report a rare case of such a shunt-the result of a right atrial thrombus that formed in a hypercoagulable patient after placement of an indwelling central venous catheter for chemotherapy. In order to ascertain the nature of the right atrial mass and to decrease the risk of systemic embolization, the thrombus was surgically removed with the patient on cardiopulmonary bypass.

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Figures

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Fig. 1 Color-Doppler transesophageal echocardiography shows continuous shunting (arrow) from the right atrium (RA) to the left atrium (LA) across a patent foramen ovale.
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Fig. 2 A right atrial mass (2.8 cm) attached to the eustachian valve is seen on transesophageal echocardiography.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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