Low Yield of Extensive Workup for Embolic Sources in Lacunar Stroke Patients

We aimed to evaluate the yield of extensive etiologic workup in lacunar stroke patients.

As lacunar strokes are infrequently caused by thromboembolism, the clinical relevance of extensive workup for thromboembolic sources is questioned.

Among consecutive stroke admissions to a single center over 3 years, the 100 cases initially classified as lacunar stroke and a sample of 100 cases classified as non-lacunar ischemic strokes were studied. Review of brain imaging resulted in reclassification of 24 cases, and exclusion of 3 cases, producing a final cohort of 86 confirmed lacunar strokes and 111 confirmed non-lacunar strokes. In each of these cases, results of echocardiographic and vascular imaging studies were evaluated.

Echocardiography was performed in 93% of both the lacunar stroke cases and non-lacunar stroke cases. High-risk cardiac embolic sources were found less often in lacunar than in non-lacunar stroke cases (19% versus 34%). Findings potentially requiring anticoagulant therapy were found exclusively in the non-lacunar stroke patients. Vascular imaging studies (computed tomography angiography or magnetic resonance angiography) were also performed in similar proportions of lacunar and non-lacunar stroke cases (85% versus 84%). Cerebrovascular occlusions or high-grade stenoses were frequent (62%) in non-lacunar stroke patients but less frequent (25%) in lacunar stroke patients. In the non-lacunar stroke patients, identified vascular lesions were very frequently in a vessel anatomically related to the infarction, but in lacunar stroke patients, this occurred in only 6 cases.

Echocardiography and vascular imaging studies rarely disclose findings of etiologic relevance, or of likelihood to change management, in patients with lacunar strokes.