Contemporary Review of the Management of Left Ventricular Thrombus

Abstract

Although there is established evidence for the treatment of left ventricular thrombus (LVT) at the outset, the subsequent management of these patients is less well-defined. This review discusses the currently available evidence for the initial type and duration of anticoagulation for LVT and explores potential treatment options after the initial period of anticoagulation. Of 2,052 studies screened, 32 studies (with three randomised controlled trials) were included. The initial anticoagulation strategy was either warfarin or direct oral anticoagulants, with the majority of studies showing similar outcomes. If LVT persists, studies recommended continuing anticoagulation (n=11/17) or switching to a different class of anticoagulant (n=7/17). After resolution, five studies recommended continuing anticoagulation in the presence of high-risk features of recurrence (i.e. persistently depressed left ventricular ejection fraction and/or apical wall dyskinesia). Medical management should be optimised, together with the appropriate revascularisation strategy, as clinically indicated. Synthesising the evidence, a practical algorithm for the management of LVT is proposed.