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ES Journal of Case Reports

ISSN: 2767-6560

Solid Abdominal Organ infarcts of Unknown Etiology: Could silent atrial fibrillation the undetected culprit?

  • Case Report

  • Getaw Worku Hassen1,3*, MD, PhD, Golnar Pashmforoosh1, MD, Laura Andreias2, MD, MS, Matthew Wieland3, PAC, Soheila Talebi4, MD, MD, Leidy Gonzalez5, MD, Kevin Yiu5,6, Anjan Saha5,6, Hossein Kalantari1, MD, MPH,Frosso Adamakos1 and Hussein Matari7, MD
  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, NYMC, Metropolitan Hospital Center, USA
  • 2Department of Geriatrics, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, USA
  • 3Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University, USA
  • 4Mount Sinai Medical Center, Department of Cardiology, USA
  • 5Metropolitan Hospital Center, USA
  • 6Touro university, Long Island, USA
  • 7Department of Radiology, NYMC, Metropolitan Hospital Center, USA
  • *Corresponding author: Getaw Worku Hassen, MD, PhD, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Director of Research, NYMC, Metropolitan Hospital Center, 1901 First Avenue, New York, NY
  • Received: Feb 10, 2020;Accepted: Feb 28, 2020; Published: Mar 16, 2020

Abstract

Background: Solid organ infarctions are uncommon causes of abdominal or flank pain. This could partially be due to under-diagnosis. Several causes, including emboli in a setting of atrial fibrillation (afib) or left ventricular thrombus formation, vasculitis, local vascular compression, underlying malignancies, infections, vascular dissection and substance abuse may be responsible.

Aim: Despite extensive diagnostic work up, the exact source, or the reason for the emboli remains unknown. Small studies have highlighted that afib is one possible cause for emboli, similar to the mechanism of stroke. Determining the cause, when possible, may help initiate appropriate treatment to avoid future events that can lead to a devastating stroke, myocardial infarction or organ loss. We seek to investigate the cause of the infarct in all these cases.

Design: Retrospective study

Method: Case review including diagnostic tests and literature review.

Conclusion: No clear source was identified. Intermittent afib could be one source, but due to lack of long term rhythm monitoring, no definitive conclusion could be made.

Citation: Hassen G W, MD, PhD, Pashmforoosh G, MD, Andreias L, MD, MS, Wieland M, PAC, Talebi S, MD, MD, Gonzalez L et al. Solid Abdominal Organ infarcts of Unknown Etiology: Could silent atrial fibrillation the undetected culprit?. ES J Case Rep. 2020; 1(3): 1015.