Paradoxical Embolism Causing Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

In this case report, we present a case of a likely paradoxical embolism in a young patient with no significant risk factor for coronary artery disease that initially presented with shortness of breath and bilateral calf pain that was found to have a deep vein thrombosis. There was a development of a pulmonary embolism that we believed due to right ventricular strain resulted in an embolus crossing into the arterial system via an intracardiac shunt causing a myocardial infarction via a distal occlusion of the right coronary artery. Patient was treated with full dose anticoagulation and a patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure was recommended. J Med Cases. 2017;8(11):365-367 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc2933w