Right Atrio-Ventricular Thrombus Masquerading as Myxoma

Abstract

Intra-cardiac thrombus is an important pathological condition due to its potentially fatal  complications. Thrombus in the right side of the heart is a relativley uncommon event and most are  coincidentally discovered during the autopsy. Intra-cardiac causes of thrombus development include  atrial fibrillation, valvular diseases, blood stasis in atrial appendages, pacemaker associated  thrombosis, dilated cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, ventricular aneurysm, etc. The  hemodynamic consequences of intra-cardiac mass such as thrombus, depend on its size and  location; the most common hemodynamic disturbance is related to obstruction of the inflow-outflow  tract and interference with the functioning of the atrio-ventricular valve. Therefore during autopsy  sudden cardiac death as a cause of death should always be kept in mind in seemingly normal  individuals.  We report a case of sudden cardiac death because of right atrio-ventricular thrombus in a  young adult.