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. 2021 May 3;73(1):43.
doi: 10.1186/s43044-021-00167-4.

Spontaneous pulmonary artery thrombus in a neonate

Y S Shrimanth  1 , Krishna Prasad  1 , Adari Appala Karthik  2 , Parag Barwad  1 , C R Pruthvi  1 , Atit A Gawalkar  1 , Krishna Santosh  3 , Sanjeev Naganur  4
Affiliations

Spontaneous pulmonary artery thrombus in a neonate

Y S Shrimanth et al. Egypt Heart J. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary artery thrombosis is rare in neonates and mimics as persistent pulmonary hypertension or congenital heart disease. Risk factors include septicemia, dehydration, polycythemia, maternal diabetes, asphyxia, and inherited thrombophilias. They present with cyanosis and respiratory distress. Careful echocardiogram assessment helps in identifying the thrombus in the pulmonary artery and its branches. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography confirms the diagnosis.

Case presentation: We present a case of term neonate who presented with respiratory distress and cyanosis and a detailed echocardiogram revealed thrombus in the origin of left pulmonary artery. The neonate was managed initially with unfractionated heparin and later with low molecular weight heparin with which there was significant resolution of the thrombus CONCLUSION: Spontaneous pulmonary artery thrombosis though rare should be suspected in any cyanotic neonate with respiratory distress. Management in these cases depends on the haemodynamic instability and lung ischemia.

Keywords: Computed tomography pulmonary angiography; Echocardiogram; Persistent pulmonary artery hypertension; Pulmonary artery thrombus.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
a Echocardiogram with colour Doppler in parasternal short axis view showing turbulent flow across LPA along with luminal narrowing (arrow). b Echocardiogram with continuous wave Doppler showing gradient across LPA
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
CT pulmonary angiography showing eccentric filling defect at the origin of left pulmonary artery
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Repeat echocardiogram after 6 weeks of LMWH. Colour Doppler in parasternal short axis view showing partial resolution of thrombus in LPA (arrow)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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