We report the case of a 50-year-old patient admitted in ICU for a pulmonary embolism associated with a large thrombus in right heart cavities discovered during an assessment of faintness. Despite an excellent haemodynamic tolerance, there was a systolic and diastolic right ventricular failure and immediate threat to life. The treatment mainly relies on intravenous thrombolysis with excellent results both on thrombus lysis and on the right heart performance. Echocardiography proved to be an essential tool during the management of this patient to ensure the effectiveness and to monitor the whole procedure of thrombolysis.
Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier SAS.