Mural thrombus in the normal-appearing descending thoracic aorta of a chronic smoker

Thrombus formation in an atherosclerotic or aneurysmal descending thoracic aorta is a well-described, frequently encountered vascular condition. In comparison, thrombus formation in a normal-appearing descending thoracic aorta is reported far less often. We describe the case of a 46-year-old woman w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Texas Heart Institute journal 2013, Vol.40 (5), p.619-622
Main Authors: Habib, Habib, Hsu, Judy, Winchell, Patricia Jo, Daoko, Joseph
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aorta, Thoracic
Aortic Diseases - diagnosis
Aortic Diseases - etiology
Case Reports
Chronic Disease
Diagnosis, Differential
Echocardiography, Transesophageal
Electrocardiography
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Middle Aged
Smoking - adverse effects
Thrombosis - diagnosis
Thrombosis - etiology
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
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Summary:Thrombus formation in an atherosclerotic or aneurysmal descending thoracic aorta is a well-described, frequently encountered vascular condition. In comparison, thrombus formation in a normal-appearing descending thoracic aorta is reported far less often. We describe the case of a 46-year-old woman who had splenic and renal infarctions secondary to embolic showers from a large, mobile thrombus in a morphologically normal proximal descending thoracic aorta. After the patient underwent anticoagulation, stent-grafting, and surgical bypass to correct an arterial blockage caused by the stent-graft, she resumed a relatively normal life. In contrast with other cases of a thrombotic but normal-appearing descending thoracic aorta, this patient had no known malignancy or systemic coagulative disorders; her sole risk factor was chronic smoking. We discuss our patient's case and review the relevant medical literature, focusing on the effect of smoking on coagulation physiology.
ISSN:0730-2347
1526-6702