Transesophageal echocardiographic findings of left atrial floating thrombus

Left atrial thrombus formation is a common complication in patients with mitral stenosis. A free-floating thrombus in the left atrium, however, has rarely been reported. A 60-year-old man with severe mitral stenosis was found to have a left atrial free-floating thrombus. Initially, it was detected by transthoracic echocardiography, but, whether there was any attachment of the thrombus to the left atrial wall or any existence of the thrombus in the left atrial appendage could not be clearly defined. These problems were resolved by a subsequent transesophageal echocardiographic study; the detailed characteristics of this floating thrombus were clearly observed and described.