HYPERINTENSE THROMBUS WITHIN THE INFERIOR VENA-CAVA - SONOGRAPHIC DEMONSTRATION OF ACUTE CIRCULATORY ARREST

Clot echogenicity is variable and is dependent on several factors incl uding the age of the thrombus.(1) In most clinical situations, an imag ed venous thrombus is either acute or chronic and is manifested as uni formly echoic or hypoechoic intraluminal material. An intensely echoge nic hyperacute clot is rarely seen in the clinical setting. We report an unusual case in which, unbeknown to the technician performing the s tudy, a patient quietly died during the course of an ultrasonographic examination, resulting in an extensive hyperacute echogenic thrombus w ithin the visualized upper abdominal veins.