Abstract 12439: A Systematic Review on the Management and Outcomes of Patients With Mitral Annular Calcification Thrombus

Abstract

Introduction: Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is a common chronic degenerative process of the mitral valve. Thrombus formation on MAC is a rare complication that is poorly understood and likely contributes to the increased risk of thromboembolic events. We performed a systematic review (PROSPERO 2022 CRD42022299281) to understand the management and outcomes of patients with thrombus on MAC. Methods: Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases (inception to December 2021) were searched to identify studies with MAC thrombus. Patients with prior mitral valve intervention or prosthesis were excluded. The outcomes of interest were treatment, mortality, and thromboembolic events. Results: Fifteen studies with 22 cases of MAC thrombus were included (Table 1). The average age at diagnosis was 69.1±14.8 years and 82% were female. Most patients presented with stroke or transient ischemic event (68%) or myocardial infarction (18%). All patients were diagnosed with either transthoracic (82%) or transesophageal (18%) echocardiography. Seventy-seven percent of patients were treated with anticoagulation alone and 23% required surgery. The most common indication for surgery was prevention of recurrent embolization (14%). No mortality was reported. Thromboembolic events after diagnosis occurred in 27%. For those treated with anticoagulation alone, 23% had persistent thrombus with or without embolization. Conclusions: This is the first systematic review examining the management and outcomes of patients with MAC thrombus. In patients with MAC who present with a thromboembolic event, careful echocardiographic assessment of MAC to exclude the presence of thrombus should be performed. While most patients can be managed with anticoagulation alone, a significant number will require surgery. Persistent thrombus despite anticoagulation and recurrent embolization are common. Larger studies are needed to elucidate the optimal long-term care for these patients.