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[Aspects of ischemic stroke course in patients with heart-related embolism]
Insights
Patients with acute ischemic stroke due to cardiac embolism were older, experienced more severe deficits, and had higher mortality. Cardiac emboli may cause larger infarcts and greater cerebral blood flow disturbances.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cardiology
- Radiology
Context:
- Acute ischemic hemispheric stroke presents a significant clinical challenge.
- Cardiac embolism is a known, but variably impactful, cause of stroke.
- Understanding stroke etiology is crucial for prognosis and treatment.
Purpose:
- To compare clinical, imaging, and hemodynamic features of acute ischemic stroke patients with and without cardiac embolism.
- To investigate the impact of cardiac embolism on stroke severity and outcomes.
Summary:
- A study of 193 patients with acute ischemic hemispheric stroke found that those with cardiac embolism (n=49) were older.
- Patients with cardiac embolism exhibited more severe neurological deficits, higher mortality rates, larger ischemic lesions on computed tomography (CT), and more pronounced cerebral blood flow disturbances on transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD).
- These findings suggest that the size and pattern of cardiac emboli contribute to stroke severity.
Impact:
- Highlights the prognostic significance of cardiac embolism in acute ischemic stroke.
- Informs clinical assessment and risk stratification for stroke patients.
- Underscores the importance of identifying cardiac sources of embolism for targeted prevention strategies.
Abstract:
193 patients with acute ischemic hemispheric stroke were examined. We divided them into two groups. Group 1 included patients with cardiac embolism (n = 49), patients without embolisms (n = 144) formed Group 2. We revealed that patients of Group 1 were significantly older and had severe neurologic deficit and higher mortality. The size of ischemic foci assessed by computed tomography were larger, and the disturbances of cerebral blood flow estimated by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography were more severe in Group 1. The reason to be supposed may be a larger size and pattern of cardiac emboli.