DETECTION OF AN ISOLATED THROMBUS OF THE LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE IN A YOUNG WOMAN IN SINUS RHYTHM 5 YEARS AFTER AN ISCHEMIC STROKE

The authors report the case of a 40 year old woman who had an ischemic stroke. The initial investigation including a complete blood clotting analysis, failed to demonstrate the cause. Five years later, the inve stigations were completed systematically by transesophageal echocardio graphy which demonstrated an isolated thrombus localised in the left a trial appendage though the localisation heart was in sinus rhythm and morphologically normal. This case illustrates in the diagnostic yield of transesophageal echocardiography in the investigation of systemic e mbolism in young patients who have had a cerebral ischemic event of un known cause, even in the absence of predisposing cardiac cause.