Thrombolytic therapy in prosthetic valve thrombosis during early pregnancy

Abstract

Regardless of the improvements in the design of prosthetic heart valves and the use of anticoagulation, systemic embolism and valve thrombosis remains the most dreaded complications of mechanical heart valve replacement. A course of thrombolytic therapy may be considered as a first-line therapy for prosthetic heart valve thrombosis. The safety of thrombolysis in early pregnancy is not known. We describe a primigravida with mitral valve replacement status presenting with acute prosthetic valve thrombosis and treated successfully with intravenous streptokinase.