Surgical removal of extensive left pulmonary vein stump thrombus after pulmonary lobectomy: a rare cause of acute cerebral embolism.

A 46-year-old woman presented with loss of consciousness and was diagnosed with acute cerebral embolism. She had undergone left upper lobectomy for primary lung cancer 6 months before this event. Transesophageal echocardiography and computed tomography showed a large mobile thrombus in the left upper pulmonary vein (LSPV). An emergent operation was performed through a median sternotomy. Cardiopulmonary bypass was performed and the heart was arrested, and the LSPV was incised. A fresh thrombus had formed in the stump of the LSPV and was removed successfully. The postoperative course was uneventful. During a 1 year of follow-up, there was no recurrence of the thrombus.