Combined therapeutic strategy for multiple coronary thromboemboli

A female with mitral valvular disease presented an acute myocardial infarction. She suddenly complained of recurrent chest pain with symptoms of pulmonary edema. The angiogram evidenced multiple coronary thromboemboli. A combined strategy using intracoronary thrombolysis, a platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonist (abciximab) and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty to help disrupt the thrombus was performed. Clinical and angiographic signs of coronary reperfusion were rapidly achieved. No bleeding complications appeared. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 50:343–345, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.