Fibrinolytic Treatment after Transient Ischaemic Attack Caused by Prosthetic Mitral Valve Thrombosis

Abstract

Prosthetic valve thrombosis is one of the most severe complications after surgical valve replacement. There are many possible presentations: from asymptomatic to life-threatening complications. We report on a 61-year-old female patient with prosthetic replacement of the aortic and mitral valve in the in-house department of cardiac surgery 3 months ago. The patient was suffering from aphasia during 5 minutes in domesticity. After her presentation in the emergency room, the echocardiographic examination revealed a thrombotic formation of the prosthetic mitral valve. At presentation, the anticoagulation was outside the effective range (INR: 1.7). A successful thrombolytic therapy with the plasminogen activator urokinase was begun with complete resolution of the thrombus.