EMBOLIC ACCIDENT FOLLOWING HEPARIN-THERAPY FOR A LEFT-VENTRICULAR CLOT DIAGNOSED BY TEE - A CASE-REPORT

There are few data available on the incidence of embolic events in pat ients with systemic anticoagulation. We describe a 40-year-old woman i n congestive heart failure who was shown by transesophageal echocardio graphy to have an apical thrombus in the left ventricle without concom itant aneurysm. The patient was started on heparin immediately after t he diagnosis was established. Twelve hours later she developed an embo lic cerebrovascular accident. We believe that heparin dislodged the th rombus as occurs occasionally with thrombolytic agents used in the tre atment of acute myocardial infarction.