Consumption coagulopathy associated with left atrial thrombosis.

Three patients with consumption coagulopathy due to left atrial thrombosis associated with mitral valve disease are described. They had hypofibrinogenemia (0.7-1.7 g/L), mild thrombocytopenia (104-117 x 10(9)/L), and elevated fibrinos/fibrin degradation products (FDP) (20-64 micrograms/ml). Two patients had bleeding symptoms, and one of these also had two episodes of transient ischemic attack. One without bleeding symptoms had three episodes of transient ischemic attack and repeated retinal vein thrombosis. In two patients, preoperative anticoagulation with either heparin or nafamostat mesilate was followed by an increase in plasma fibrinogen level from 0.7 to 5.6 g/L and a decrease in FDP from 64 to 8 micrograms/ml in one patient, and fibrinogen from 1.0 to 2.8 g/L and FDP from 40 to 5 micrograms/mL in another patient. The mitral valve replacement and thrombectomy were performed uneventfully, and their coagulopathy disappeared thereafter. These three patients had a lower platelet count and a shorter platelet survival time than another three patients with mitral valve disease of a similar severity but without coagulopathy. Hemostatic evaluation should be performed in patients suspected of intracardiac thrombosis.