Cinematic rendering-enhanced computed tomography of right intracardiac thrombi: A case report

Elias Lugo-Fagundo, Connor W Smith, Taha M Ahmed, Elliot K Fishman
Radiol Case Rep. 2026 Jun 3;21(9):3587-3590. doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2026.05.029. eCollection 2026 Sep.
Abstract
Intracardiac thrombi of the right heart are a rare entity, often presenting a significant risk for pulmonary embolism (PE). Two subtypes of intracardiac thrombi have been described, namely floating right heart thrombi and mural thrombi. The first-line imaging modality for the diagnosis of intracardiac thrombi is transthoracic echocardiography, but its sensitivity for detecting right heart thrombi remains limited. Advanced post-processing techniques, including cinematic rendering (CR) and black blood cinematic rendering (BBCR), applied to computed tomography (CT) have emerged with enhanced visualization in the evaluation of right heart thrombi. In this article, we report the case of a 46-year-old male who presented with progressive dyspnea, bilateral lower extremity swelling, and hemoptysis. We highlight the role of CT in the evaluation of intracardiac thrombi and the potential of CR as an adjunctive visualization tool to further clarify radiological features of this entity.