Duet of Death: Biventricular Thrombus in a Methamphetamine User

We present the case of a 60-year-old male who developed an ischemic stroke due to left ventricular (LV) thrombus emboli as a complication of methamphetamine-induced cardiomyopathy. The patient had a history of methamphetamine abuse, hypertension, and ischemic stroke with no residual deficits presented with new onset slurred speech, left-sided weakness, and numbness for two hours. Computed tomography (CT) of the head showed no acute changes, and a tissue plasminogen activator was given in the emergency department within 30 minutes of arrival. Urine drug screen (UDS) was positive for methamphetamine, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed acute cortical infarcts in the right frontal lobe and parietal lobe and chronic infarct in the left occipital lobe. Transthoracic echocardiography showed bilateral ventricular thrombus and severely reduced ejection fraction of 20-25%. The patient had no evidence of thrombophilia and was started on a heparin drip for thrombus and goal-directed medical therapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Upon discharge, the patient was prescribed the oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban. The LV thrombus emboli were attributed to causing ischemic stroke. This case highlights the potential risk of ischemic stroke due to LV thrombus emboli in patients with methamphetamine-induced cardiomyopathy.

Automated summary

We present a case of a 60-year-old male with methamphetamine-induced cardiomyopathy who developed an ischemic stroke due to left ventricular thrombus emboli. The patient had a history of methamphetamine abuse, hypertension, and previous ischemic stroke. Imaging showed acute cortical infarcts in the brain and bilateral ventricular thrombus. Treatment included thrombolysis, heparin drip, and goal-directed medical therapy for heart failure. This case highlights the potential risk of ischemic stroke in patients with methamphetamine-induced cardiomyopathy.