INTRACARDIAC THROMBI AFTER ORTHOTOPIC HEART-TRANSPLANTATION - CLINICAL-SIGNIFICANCE AND ETIOLOGIC FACTORS

The frequency and clinical significance of intracardiac thrombi after orthotopic heart transplantation are still not fully understood. The aim of this article is to present five patients with heart transplants with intracardiac thrombi and to subject the possible cause, methods of diagnosis, and treatment of this phenomenon to scrutiny. The frequency of intracardiac thrombi may well be higher than anticipated, with emboli occurring only in a small proportion of cases. Hematologic, anatomic, and hemodynamic factors seem to have a bearing on thrombogenesis. Further multicenter studies are required to gain a better understanding of this disorder.