Pulmonary Embolization of a Right Atrial Mass During Transesophageal Echocardiography

This report describes a rare case of right atrial thrombus (associated with spinal surgery) resulting in pulmonary embolization during transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) examination. A 50-year-old female who had recently undergone spinal surgery was admitted because of syncope. Transthoracicechocardiography (TTE) reveald a mobile mass in the right atrium prolapsing into the right ventricle. During esophageal intubation of the TEE probe, the patient complained of sudden distress and TEE showed that mass in the right atrium had disappeared. Ventilation-perfusion lung scan confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. She was treated successfully with intravenous heparin without any complication and recurrence.