Paradoxical Embolism After a Traffic Accident: A Rare Case of Thrombus Entrapped in a Patent Foramen Ovale

Abstract

Paradoxical embolism is the passage of a thrombus formed in the venous system through shunts in the lung or heart into the systemic circulation. The most common intracardiac shunt is a patent foramen ovale (PFO). Since the transition of a thrombus formed in the right heart to the left heart and systemic circulation through the PFO is a temporary situation, the entrapped thrombus in the PFO is extremely rare. Herein, we present a case, including the diagnosis and treatment, of a paradoxical embolism in a 53-year-old female with a nonvehicle traffic accident who developed a pulmonary embolism and acute cerebral infarction.

Keywords

• paradoxical embolism
• entrapped thrombus in pfo
• surgical treatment in paradoxical embolism