Descending Aortic Thrombus Hanging by a Thread: Three-Dimensional Echocardiogram

Aortic thrombus is a rarely identified source of distal embolization. A conservative approach with anticoagulation alone carries a significant risk of embolization. Various open surgical approaches have been suggested as therapeutic options, but all of them carry a significant morbidity and mortality risk in this population subgroup. Contemporary endovascular approaches aimed at exclusion of the floating thrombus are now increasingly performed, and have significantly lower periprocedural complications compared with an open surgical approach.