Acute myocardial infarction secondary to thromboembolism in a patient with atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is a common entity and can be associated with thromboembolic complications in as many as 18% of patients per year. Anticoagulation is the mainstay of therapy to reduce the risk of stroke and peripheral embolization. A coronary thromboembolus with subsequent myocardial infarction, however, is rare. We describe the case of a 53 year-old female with a history of non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy that presented with newly diagnosed, symptomatic atrial fibrillation and during hospitalization suffered an acute myocardial infarction from embolization of a left atrial appendage thrombus.