Surgical Thrombectomy of Two Left Ventricular Thrombi in a Child With Acute Myocarditis

Myocarditis is a potentially life-threatening disease. Although ventricular thrombus formation in myocarditis is rare, it carries the risk of serious complications. We report on a 10-year-old previously healthy girl presenting with 2 large left ventricular thrombi in acute lymphocytic acute myocarditis. No coagulation disorder was found. Her clinical course and mobile thrombi characteristics prompted us to carry out an urgent surgical thrombectomy rather than primary anticoagulation therapy. The patient has recovered well without clinical signs of thromboembolism. Pediatrics 2013;131:e1–e5 AUTHORS: Markus-Johann Dechant, MD,a Matthias Siepe, MD,b Brigitte Stiller, MD,a and Jochen Grohmann, MDa aDepartment of Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology, Heart Center, Freiburg University, Freiburg, Germany; and bDepartment of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany