Radiologic detection of a calcified thrombus within the left ventricle; report of a case with surgical verification.

Abstract

Roentgen criteria for the recognition and localization of cardiac calcification have been well established (1, 2). Detection of calcific deposits within the annulus fibrosus, valves, coronary arteries, myocardium, and pericardium has frequently been described. Radiologic antemortem observation of left atrial calcification, however, was rarely reported until recent years (3, 4, 5). Roentgen diagnosis of a calcined thrombus within the left ventricle is a rarity. The following case report emphasizes the importance of careful fluoroscopy in the recognition of this condition. Case Report A 41-year-old female was hospitalized in October 1952 for the surgical relief of mitral stenosis. Pre-operative fluoroscopic examination presented immediate and obvious evidence of two well denned calcium masses within the cardiac silhouette (Figs. 1 and 2). On careful observation it was noted that these two calcific “islands” displayed independent motion, approaching each other during ventricular systole and separating during...