Niti Dalal1, Aabha Divya2, Juhi Bakhtawar3, Mona Swain4
Rheumatic heart disease contributes to significant cardiovascular morbidity and
mortality and remains a predominant cause of cardiac morbidity in developing
nations. Coronary angiography is indicated as a routine procedure in the
preoperative assessment of patients with valvular heart disease, who are older
than 40 years age. Though transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is routinely done
preoperative in every patient, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is an
important imaging modality especially for the identification of thrombus. The
diagnosis of associated left atrial thrombus changes the approach to the surgery,
regardless of the symptoms.
Rheumatic mitral valve disease contributes to significant cardiovascular
morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is the predominant cause of cardiac
morbidity in developing nations. This case demonstrates incidental finding of large
left atrial thrombus, diagnosed incidentally through transesophageal
echocardiography in a patient who was previously diagnosed as a case of severe
mitral stenosis with coronary artery disease.
