Prosthetic Mitral Valve Thrombosis Research Articles

Systemic thrombolysis for mechanical prosthetic valve thrombosis - case report and review of literature

Prosthetic valve thrombosis is one of the life-threatening complications in patients with prosthetic heart valves. It is more common in mechanical prosthetic valves in the setting of inadequate or missing anticoagulation. Besides optimization of anticoagulation urgent surgery or thrombolytic therapy should be considered but both are associated with an increased risk for complications and mortality. We report a case of a patient with imaging data for mechanical prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis. Considering the individual patient’s characteristics and the published guidelines we decided to perform systemic thrombolysis with ultra-slow low-dose infusion of tissue-type plasminogen activator. The therapy was successful without any bleeding or thromboembolic complications. 

Diagnosis of Left-Sided Mechanical Prosthetic Valve Thrombosis: A Pictorial Review.

Although transcatheter valve therapy is rapidly evolving, surgical valve replacement is still required in many patients with severe left-side valve stenosis or regurgitation, the mechanical bi-leaflet heart valve being the standard prosthesis type in younger patients. Moreover, the prevalence of valvular heart disease is steadily increasing, especially in industrialized countries, and the problem of lifelong efficient anticoagulation of these patients remains fundamental, especially in the context where vitamin K antagonists continue to be the current standard of anticoagulation despite a level of oscillating anticoagulation. In this setting, avoiding prosthetic valve thrombosis after surgery is the number one objective for both the patient and the responsible physicians. Although rare, this complication is life threatening, with the sudden onset of acute cardiac failure such as acute pulmonary edema, cardiogenic shock, or sudden cardiac death and inadequate anticoagulation remaining the leading cause of prosthesis thrombosis, along with other risk factors. The availability of multimodal imaging techniques enables and encompasses to a full extent the diagnosis of mechanical valve thrombosis. The gold-standard diagnostic methods are transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. Moreover, 3D ultrasound has undoubted value in giving a more accurate description of the thrombus's extension. When transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography are uncertain, the multidetector computer tomography examination is an important complementary imaging method. Fluoroscopy is also an excellent tool for evaluating the mobility of prosthetic discs. Each method complements the other to differentiate an acute mechanical valve thrombosis from other prosthetic valve pathologies such as pannus formation or infective endocarditis and aids the physician in accurately establishing the treatment method (surgical or pharmaceutical) and its optimal timing. The aim of this pictorial review was to discuss from an imagistic perspective the mechanical prosthetic aortic and mitral valve thrombosis and to provide an overview of the essential role of non-invasive exploration in the treatment of this severe complication.

Thrombolytic therapy as first line treatment in prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis

Background: A very common post-operative mechanical complication of a prosthetic valve is thrombosis leading to valve being stuck. This leads to rapid development of heart failure and can result in sudden death of the patient in an aggravated manner. The study aims to put forth the importance of immediate thrombolysis in such patients which can provide bridging between the event and immediate surgery. Methods: A total of 50 patients were retrospectively studied after presentation with prosthetic valve thrombosis and the thrombolytic agent used in all the cases was injectable streptokinase or urokinase. Post streptokinase patients were given heparin infusion and oral anticoagulants. The therapy was considered failure if transvalvular gradients decreased less than 50% or in case of persistent valve motion abnormality. Results: 94% patients had complete normalisation of valve function and decrease in transvalvular gradients to less than 50% within the first 24 hours. 4% patients required surgery and 2% patients could not survive the treatment. Conclusions: Immediate thrombolysis on presentation has shown significant improvement in survival without the risk of subjecting patients to redo surgeries which are associated with multiple complications in the perioperative period.

Mechanical prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis during dabigatran treatment

Dabigatran has been approved for prevention of thromboembolic complications in non-valvular atrial fibrillation. We present a case of a mechanical prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis during anticoagulation with dabigatran, switched in the last three months after 10 years treatment with warfarin. The patient presented with acute respiratory failure and decompensated heart failure. She was initially treated with unfractioned heparin and then was sent for emergency surgery for cardiogenic shock. As emerging from contemporary evidence and as recommended by guidelines, dabigatran, as well as the other direct oral anticoagulants, should be avoided in patients with mechanical valve prosthesis. Echocardiography is indicated if dyspnoea develops in such patients.

Comparative safety and efficacy of tenecteplase and streptokinase in prosthetic valve thrombosis: An observation from Eastern India

Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) is a life-threatening emergency. Thrombolytic therapy is emerging as a potential substitute. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of Tenecteplase (TNK) in comparison to streptokinase (STK) in patients with PVT. In this prospective study, patients with PVT who were not subjected to the surgery underwent thrombolysis with TNK (TNK arm) or STK (STK arm). Efficacy and safety of both treatment arms were judged from clinical, echocardiographic (ECHO), and Cinefluoroscopic parameters. Treatment outcomes and complications were compared between the two arms.Between December 2017 and December 2019, a total of 41 cases of PVT were enrolled to receive either TNK (n=23) or STK (n=18). After thrombolysis, complete recovery was significant in the TNK arm (82.6% [19/23] vs. 44.4% [8/18], respectively; p=0.007) irrespective of the valve position. This trend was observed in both mitral PVT (85.7% vs. 46.6%, respectively; p=0.03) and aortic PVT (77.8% vs. 33.3%, respectively; p=0.151). No failure was seen in the TNK arm but failure was observed in 1/3cases in the STK arm. No major bleeding was observed with either treatment. Minor bleeding and systemic embolization were non-significant (P=0.514). There were no deaths in the TNK arm but two patients (11%) from the STK arm died.To our knowledge, this is the largest published comparative evidence indicating superior efficacy and equal safety of tenecteplase compared to streptokinase for the treatment of prosthetic valve thrombosis irrespective of valve position and NYHA class.

Effectiveness of alteplase infusion for the management of prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis in paediatric age group and proposed algorithm.

The incidence of prosthetic valve implantation is increasing in the paediatric population. Prosthetic valve thrombosis leading to obstruction could potentially be a life-threatening complication. There is a debate regarding optimal management of this complication, and there is limited use of thrombolytic therapy in childhood in the setting of valve thrombosis. We aim to share our experience of successfully using fibrinolytic therapy in terms of alteplase for paediatric prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis and to propose a management algorithm. This retrospective analysis of the database was conducted at our hospital including patients who underwent thrombolysis (alteplase) for prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis from June, 2011 to June, 2021. A total of 10 patients with 20 attempts of alteplase infusion were found in our record. Alteplase was successful in 19 attempts to relieve valve thrombosis. The safe and effective dose of alteplase was between 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg/hour. There were no associated major bleeding complications and alteplase was administered either by central or peripheral line. Thrombolysis by alteplase infusion was found to be successful in relief of prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis in paediatric population without major bleeding complications.

Case report: Mechanical mitral prosthetic valve thrombosis in the context of COVID-19 despite effective anticoagulation

BackgroundThe SARS-CoV2 virus has been an emerging virus since December 2019 and is the cause of a global pandemic whose clinical manifestations extend far beyond respiratory disease.Case summaryA patient with severe coronavirus disease 2019 respiratory infection, carrying a mechanical mitral valve and under anticoagulation, was admitted to our cardiology department because of a new atrial fibrillation, which turned out to be related to thrombosis of the mitral mechanical valve.ConclusionThe pro-coagulant effect of the SARS-CoV2 virus does not spare patients at risk of thrombosis, even under effective anticoagulation. In patients with mechanical valves under vitamin K antagonist treatment, there is a high risk of thrombus formation. The treatment is based on thrombolysis by therapeutic anticoagulation, fibrinolysis, or surgery depending on the size, composition of thrombus, and clinical manifestation.

Thrombolysis Versus Redo-Surgery for Treatment of Mechanical Prosthetic Mitral Valve Thrombosis in Young Adult Patients

Abstract Objectives To evaluate and compare outcome of redo-surgery and thrombolysis for treatment of mitral PVT following mechanical valve replacement for rheumatic etiology in young adult patients (<50 years old). Methods and Results This retrospective study included 42 young adult patients who had PVT after mechanical valve replacement for rheumatic mitral valve disease, between January 2014 and June 2019. Eighteen patients underwent redo-surgery and 24 patients underwent thrombolysis (Streptokinase 100,000 U/h for at least 24 hours). The approach of treatment was based on proposed criteria considering hemodynamic status, NYHA functional class, and thrombus size. Complete response to thrombolysis was defined by normal clinical and echocardiographic parameters. Primary outcome included response to thrombolysis, complications, mortality, and recurrence. The median follow-up period was 24 months. The thrombus size was significantly larger in redo-surgery group (9.88±2.44 mm2 vs 5.87±1.26 mm2, P < 0.001). The response to thrombolysis was complete recovery (70.8%), partial recovery (16.7%), or failure (12.5%). There was no significant difference in the incidence of major complications. Mortality was significantly higher in redo-surgery group (27.8% vs 4.2%, P = 0.03), with cumulative survival of 72.2% for redo-surgery versus 95.8% for thrombolysis (Log-rank P-value = 0.04). The reduced cumulative survival with redo-surgery was more evident in patients with delayed presentation (> 1 week). Recurrent thrombosis occurred only with thrombolysis (8.3% vs 0%, P = 0.20). Cumulative proportions for freedom from thrombosis were 100% for surgery versus 78.1% for thrombolysis (Log-rank P-value = 0.17). Conclusions Proper patient selection may improve outcome after treatment of mitral PVT using thrombolysis or redo-surgery in young adults. Redo-surgery has advantages over thrombolysis regarding mid-term recurrence of thrombosis; however, thrombolysis has significantly lower mortality than redo-surgery. Further evaluation of the proper treatment for delayed presentation of PVT is recommended.

Characteristic localization patterns of thrombus on various brands of bileaflet mitral mechanical heart valves as assessed by three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography and their relationship with thromboembolism.

Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3D-TEE) provides detailed images of prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT). However, data regarding PVT localization patterns based on 3D-TEE and their association with clinical findings among various bileaflet mitral prosthetic valve brands is lacking. The locations of thrombi were classified into 4 groups according to hinge and annulus involvement based on 3D-TEE: ring-like PVT involving entire mitral annulus (type-1), PVT involving peri-hinge(s) region and extends through some part of the annulus (type-2), PVT involving mitral annulus without involving hinge(s) region (type-3), and PVT involving only (peri)hinge(s) area (type-4). This study was conducted in 265 patients (male: 71, mean age: 46.3 ± 12.7years) with mitral PVT, including 150 St Jude Medical (SJM), 65 Carbomedics, 29 Medtronic ATS open-pivot, and 21 Sorin bileaflet mechanical valves. There was a significant difference in most common PVT localization patterns between different prosthetic valves (type-1 for Carbomedics and Sorin; type-2 for SJM and type-3 for ATS valves; p < 0.001). Additionally, PVT involving only (peri)hinge region(s) (type-4) was mostly observed in patients with SJM valves (18%). (Peri)hinge(s) area involvement was observed in the majority of study patients (78.1%). In patients who presented with thromboembolism, the most common PVT localization pattern was type-1 (53%). Increased age, low international normalized ratio on admission, PVT with a mobile part > 2mm, type-1 and type-4 PVT were associated with thromboembolic events. In conclusion, thrombus can be displayed in distinct locations in several types of bileaflet mechanical valves due to different design, hinge and pivot mechanisms, which can be complicated with thromboembolic events.

The value of brain natriuretic peptide in the prosthetic valve thrombosis.

: We aimed to investigate how prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) affects brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and how BNP changes following thrombolytic therapy. The study included 70 consecutive patients with left-sided mechanical PVT who received thrombolytic therapy. The patients were divided into two groups, namely obstructive thrombus (n = 42) and nonobstructive thrombus (NOT, n = 28). BNP levels of patients were assessed before and after thrombolytic therapy. BNP levels were higher in obstructive thrombus group than NOT group in whole study population, in patients with mitral PVT and in patients with aortic PVT [325.0 (189.5-496.0) vs. 84.0 (44.5-140.0), P < 0.001, 323.0 (193-449.0) vs. 59.0 (37.0-131.0), P < 0.001 and 321.0 (132.0-525.0) vs. 99.0 (60.5-173.0), P < 0.001]. BNP levels were positively correlated with transmitral and transaortic mean gradients, and negatively correlated with mitral valve area (r: 0.374, P = 0.013; r: 0.432, P = 0.035 and; r: -0.642, P < 0.001, respectively). BNP values above 165 pg/ml may predict the presence of obstructive thrombus with a sensitivity of 88.0%, and a specificity of 79.0% (AUC = 0.928, 95% confidence interval: 0.871-0.986, P < 0.001). Following thrombolytic therapy, BNP levels (pg/ml) significantly decreased from 325.0 (189.5-496.0) to 137.0 (101.7-224.5), P < 0.001, in all patients with obstructive thrombus, from 323.0 (193.0-449.0) to 129.0 (98.0-223.0), P < 0.001, in patients with only mitral obstructive thrombus and from 321.0 (132.0-525.0) to 181.0 (99.0-217.5), P < 0.001, in patients with only aortic obstructive thrombus. BNP levels are significantly higher in prosthetic valve patients with obstructive thrombus than in those with NOT and decrease in patients with obstructive thrombus after thrombolytic therapy. A cut off value of BNP of at least 165.0 pg/ml was found to discriminate obstructive thrombus from NOT.

A Reported Case of an Acute Shock Caused by a Mitral Prosthetic Valve Thrombosis

A Reported Case of an Acute Shock Caused by a Mitral Prosthetic Valve Thrombosis

Successful Use of Two Thrombolytic Drugs in Prosthetic Mitral and Aortic Valve Thrombosis

Introduction: Prosthetic valve thrombosis is a rare and severe complication of valve replacement, most often encountered with a mechanical prosthesis. The significant morbidity and mortality associated with this condition warrant rapid diagnostic evaluation. Although surgery is the first-line therapy in symptomatic obstructive mechanical valve thrombosis, thrombolytic therapy has been used as an alternative.&#x0D; Case Description: In this case report, we describe a 46-year-old man with a history of the mitral valve and aortic valve replacement 2 years ago. In echocardiography, we detected a mobile mass on the atrial side of the mitral valve prosthesis and a fixed one on the leaflet of the mechanical aortic valve with a high gradient. To save his life, we used double thrombolytic therapy considering the patient’s hemodynamic situation and the risk of bleeding. Although a routine dose of reteplase and streptokinase was considered, we administered these two thrombolytic drugs together within 72 hours.&#x0D; Conclusion: Ultimately we succeeded with this method without any significant or life-threatening adverse effects, and the patient was discharged after an optimal anticoagulation therapy.

501 A common finding with an atypical (rare) presentation

Abstract Introduction Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is characterized by persistent eosinophilia and eosinophil-mediated organ damage. Cardiac thrombosis and thromboembolic complications are common causes of morbidity and mortality in these patients. The echocardiogram is the first method of image in the assessment of cardiac involvement by HES. Clinical Case An 81 year-old male, with previous history of hypereosinophilia under investigation without specific treatment, presented to the emergency department after several episodes of syncope and exertional dyspnea. The patient denied fever. He was hemodynamically stable and had a holosystolic murmur (III/VI) audible in the entire precordium. The ECG was normal. The blood tests showed leukocytosis (26.69 x10^9/L) mainly related to hypereosinophilia (17.5 x10^9/L), thrombocytopenia (134.000/uL), elevation of troponin (hsTnT= 276 ng/L, normal range &amp;lt;14) and reactive C-protein (3.27mg/dL, normal range &amp;lt;0.5). The transthoracic echocardiogram (limited for the acoustic window) showed a mass in the aortic valve with obstruction of the left ventricle outflow tract (LVOT) during systole (maximum velocity= 3.85m/s, maximum gradient = 59mmHg, mean gradient = 31mmHg), moderate mitral regurgitation, left ventricle hypertrophy with normal ejection fraction and mild pericardial effusion. A transesophageal echo (TEE) was performed confirming the presence of a hyperechogenic sessile mass, with irregular contours, measuring 23x30 mm, attached to the aortic valve causing obstruction of the LVOT (Figure 1 A and B – TEE midesophageal long axis in diastole and systole, respectively; C and D - TEE midesophageal short axis in diastole and systole, respectively). The patient was submitted to emergent cardiac surgery for excision of the mass and aortic valve replacement (Figure 1E and F- intraoperative and macroscopic views of the mass, respectively). The anatomopathological diagnosis confirmed an aortic valve thrombus. Discussion/Conclusion: Native aortic valve thrombosis is a rare situation with severe complications like acute myocardial infarction, peripheral ischemia, stroke, cardiogenic shock and sudden death. In HES, cardiac involvement is present in up to 40-50% of patients, mainly with endomyocardial fibrosis and mural thrombus formation. Native and prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis has also been described, but aortic valve involvement is very unusual. Thrombi are one of the most common intracardiac masses, but here we present a rare case of native aortic valve thrombosis with high risk of sudden cardiac death, possibly related to HES. The echocardiogram, particularly the transesophageal echo was essential for the identification of the mass and surgical planning, but as usual in intracardiac masses, the final diagnosis was histological. Abstract 501 Figure.

Percutaneous treatment of prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis.

Percutaneous treatment of prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis.

A Novel Multiparametric Score for the Detection and Grading of Prosthetic Mitral Valve Obstruction in Cases With Different Disc Motion Abnormalities

Prosthetic mechanical valves are the elective choice in mitral valve (MV) replacement, because of their reliability and easiness of implantation. However, these prostheses can suffer from complications, the major one being prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis (PMVT). In these cases, transthoracic doppler echocardiogram (TDE) is the standard diagnostic workup for diagnosis of valve malfunction. The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) indicates the possible TDE-derived indexes, which can help in identifying insurgence of MV replacement complications. Unfortunately, in some cases, it is not possible to detect PMVT based on these criteria. In these cases, we speak of Doppler silent thrombosis and only more accurate and invasive analyses, such as fluoroscopy, allow for a correct diagnosis. In this work, computational fluid dynamic models were implemented to simulate valve fluid dynamics in different clinical scenarios in order to improve the reliability of PMVT diagnosis based on TDE. In detail, seven mechanical valve configurations, associated to different potential thrombotic conditions (symmetric and asymmetric stenosis), were designed and tested using five pathologic transmitral velocity profile, extracted from real TDE images; to obtain the flow rate profiles, each TDE velocity profile was scaled to yield a mean flow rate (MFR) of 4, 5 and 6 L/min, respectively. As a result, 105 (7 × 5 × 3) synthetic cases, accounting for different velocity profiles, MFRs and valve configurations, were simulated. TDE-derived indexes were calculated according to the ASE guidelines that were extracted. Advanced statistical methods were applied to propose a new diagnostic algorithm for detecting PMVT. Our results showed that there isn't any significant difference between symmetric and asymmetric stenosis, probe location and flow rate waveform and confirmed that the single modality diagnostic is not able to predict thrombosis in a relevant number of cases, referable to mild and mild-severe stenosis cases. To overcome the problem, a novel multi-parametric discrete score based on the designed diagnostic algorithm was attained and tested; the percentage of stenosis (POS) was predicted with an accuracy rate of 90.5%. Even more interestingly, the error rate of 9.5% is related to four false positive cases corresponding to mild stenosis (POS = 15%) which were erroneously classified as mild-severe stenosis. No false negatives were obtained. Our results suggest that a reliable estimation must take into account the mean flow rate as well as the transmitral velocity profile in order to provide a correct diagnosis.

Tenecteplase versus streptokinase thrombolytic therapy in patients with mitral prosthetic valve thrombosis

ObjectiveProsthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) is a dreadful complication of mechanical prosthetic valves. Thrombolytic therapy (TT) for PVT is an alternative to surgery and currently making a leading role. This study compares TT with tenecteplase (TNK) and streptokinase (SK) head to head in patients with mitral PVT. MethodsIn this single center, observational study, patients with mitral PVT diagnosed by clinical data, transthoracic echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography, and fluoroscopy were included. After excluding patients with contraindications for thrombolysis, they were randomly assigned to receive either SK or TNK regimen. Patients were monitored for success or failure of TT and for any complications. ResultsAmong 52 episodes (47 patients with 5 recurrences) of mechanical mitral PVT, 40 patients were thrombolyzed with SK and 12 patients were thrombolyzed with TNK. Baseline characteristics including demographic profile, clinical and echocardiographic features, and valve types were not statistically significant between the groups. Complete success rate was 77.5% in SK group and 75% in TNK group (p=0.88). Partial success rate, failure rate, and major complications were not statistically significant between the two groups. Within 12h of therapy, TNK showed complete success in 33.3% of patients compared to 15% in SK group (p-value <0.02). Minor bleeding was more common in TNK group. ConclusionSlow infusion of TNK is equally efficacious but more effective than SK in the management of mitral mechanical PVT. 75% to 77.5% of PVT patients completely recovered from TT and it should be the first line therapy where the immediate surgical options were remote.

Myocardial infarction related to coronary embolism in a patient with prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis demonstrated by threedimensional transesophageal echocardiography

Myocardial infarction related to coronary embolism in a patient with prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis demonstrated by threedimensional transesophageal echocardiography

Possible interaction of warfarin with peppermint herbal tea: a case report

Herbal medicine is usually safe and popular in Iranian communities. Peppermint herbal products may interact with warfarin, which is an essential lifelong drug used in patients with prosthetic heart valves. Herein, we report a case of possible interaction between warfarin and peppermint herbal tea.We described a 68-year-old woman who was on warfarin treatment due to bileaflet mechanical aortic valve, and mitral valve replacement presented with severe dyspnea in the setting of large obstructive prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis diagnosed by echocardiography. Therefore, cardiac surgery was conducted in the emergent setting. Warfarin was started the day after the procedure. She developed melena with a volatile and elevated international normalized ratio (INR) of 4.8 and prothrombin time > 30 s on the 7th post-operation day. She reported no changes in drug or dietary habits except for drinking high amounts of peppermint tea the day before. After the discontinuation of warfarin and medical consultation for gastrointestinal bleeding, the INR level decreased to 1.8 within two days.Consumption of peppermint herbal products are usually safe; however, caution should be taken with patients under warfarin treatment. Full disclosure for patients on anticoagulant treatment is necessary before discharge and during clinical follow-up

Thrombolysis of prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis in an infant

A 7-week-old female developed thrombosis of a mechanical mitral valve and was successfully treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). The management of infants with thrombosed mechanical prosthesis is reviewed.

Acute Prosthetic Mechanical Mitral Valve Thrombosis Following Open Cholecystectomy

Acute Prosthetic Mechanical Mitral Valve Thrombosis Following Open Cholecystectomy