Coronary thrombus aspiration revealed tumorous embolism of myxofibrosarcoma from the left atrium

Abstract

Thrombus aspiration is currently the standard strategy for primary PCI. Thrombus can be aspirated via aspiration catheters, restoring coronary blood flow. However, there are a limited number of reports regarding thrombus aspiration toward tumor embolized occlusion. We present a case of 90-year-old male with AMI caused by the metastatic tumor embolism. Emergent coronary angiography revealed total occlusion in three epicardial vessels. Histopathological examination of the aspirated specimen revealed the mixture of thrombus and metastatic tumor cells. Thrombus aspiration was partially effective for restoring coronary blood flow; however, it was very helpful for the final diagnosis of tumor embolism.

Keywords: Acute myocardial infarction; Thrombus aspiration; Tumor embolism.