A case of pulmonary vein stump thrombus that regenerated after discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy

Abstract

Anticoagulant is used to treat pulmonary vein stump thrombus after left upper lobectomy. However, the optimal length of anticoagulant therapy remains controversial. We report a case of pulmonary vein stump thrombus that regenerated after discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy despite the fact that the thrombus had disappeared after such therapy. A 71-year-old man underwent left upper lobectomy for lung cancer. Three months after the operation, contrast-enhanced CT showed a thrombus in the left superior pulmonary vein stump, and anticoagulant therapy was administered for three months. Irrespective of the disappearance of the left superior pulmonary vein stump thrombus, it regenerated 3 months after the discontinuation of anticoagulant. The newly regenerated thrombus disappeared after readministration of the anticoagulant. There is no report on patients with a recurred pulmonary vein stump thrombus after primary anticoagulant therapy. This case alerts us to the possibility of late postoperative development of pulmonary vein thrombus after successful primary treatment.