PMC3529871_01
Computed tomography and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showing a thrombus at the trifurcation of right pulmonary artery (a). Representative SEM images of the removed parts of the thrombus from the right atrium (b and e), lobar pulmonary artery (c and f) and segmental artery (d and g). b-d magnification, x1,000; e-g magnification, x3,500. Scale bar 5 mum
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PMC3529871_01_11239_2012_806_Fig1_HTML.jpg
Fig1
Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed large emboli at the right pulmonary artery (PA) trifurcation and in the left PA (Fig. 1a). The microscopic analysis revealed that the atrial thrombus was mainly composed of erythrocytes with few platelet aggregates, and some white cells (Fig. 1b, e). In the thrombi removed from lobar (Fig. 1c, f) and segmental pulmonary arteries (Fig. 1d, g), a stepwise increase in relatively dense fibrin and platelet aggregates was observed. There was a noticeable decrease in the count of erythrocytes and increase in the count of white cells in the thrombotic material removed from lobar and segmental arteries, as compared with the atrial thrombus (Fig. 1).