Case report - Cardiac general Surgical removal of a left ventricular thrombus associated with cardiac sarcoidosis

We report successful surgical management of a 31-year-old man with a left ventricular thrombus following heart failure due to cardiac sarcoidosis. Preoperative echocardiography showed diffuse hypokinesis and a mobile ball-like thrombus in the left ventricle. Computed tomography revealed a left ventricular tumor and bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, while MRI of the brain showed small infarctions in the occipital lobe. Postoperative pathologic examination of a specimen from the left ventricular free wall and a mediastinal lymph node revealed non-caseating granulomas consistent with cardiac sarcoidosis. The patient was referred to a cardiologist for further treatment with prednisolone. This is a rare case of surgical removal of a left ventricular ball-like thrombus in a patient with cardiac sarcoidosis. 2008 Published by European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.