Management of Right Atrial Thrombus. Where's the Evidence?
Sheikh, O.; Gulick, D.; Saenger, E.; Parmar, R.; Chilton, R.; Bailey, S.
Current Cardiology Reviews 2019
2019
ISSN/ISBN: 1573-403X PMID: 31657680 Document Number: 699734
The incidence of symptomatic atrial thrombi involving the right atrium is considerably lower than the left atrium. Left atrial thrombus is a well-recognized and studied condition; however, there is a significant knowledge gap regarding the optimal management of right atrial thrombi. The relatively low prevalence and incidence of right atrial thrombi directly contribute to the lack of available clinical guidelines. In general, there are two main types of atrial thrombi: type A and type B. Type A thrombi are likely embolic in nature while type B thrombi are formed within the right atrium and are associated with conditions such as atrial fibrillation or right-sided valvular heart disease. We present a narrative review of a patient found to have a right atrial thrombus and a review of the pertinent literature investigating all 3 major treatments arms including embolectomy, thrombolysis, and anticoagulation.