Thrombotic occlusion of a prosthetic heart valve: Diagnosis and management

Thromboembolic complications continue to be potential hazards in patients with prosthetic heart valves, and cerebral infarct and transient neurologic deficits as a result of embolism are the most common manifestations. Actual thrombotic obstruction of the valve occurs less frequently but is often fatal unless it is recognized and treated promptly. Tilting disk prostheses, such as the Bjork-Shiley valve, seem to be associated with a higher incidence of thrombosis than other prosthetic designs. In this article, we review the important features of diagnosis and treatment of thrombotic occlusion of prosthetic valves.