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A Change of Heart: Yield of Cardiac Imaging in Acute Stroke Workup
Frans Kauw1, Jan W Dankbaar1, Jesse Habets1
1Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Insights
A patient experienced a recurrent ischemic stroke due to cardiac embolism. Dual-energy computed tomography angiography revealed intracardiac thrombi, aiding diagnosis and management of stroke patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- Recurrent ischemic stroke poses a significant clinical challenge.
- Identifying the source of cardioembolism is crucial for effective stroke management.
Observation:
- A patient presented with recurrent ischemic stroke within 24 hours.
- Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) angiography identified two intracardiac thrombi: one in the left ventricle and one in the left atrial appendage.
Findings:
- Repeated DECT angiography after the second stroke showed significant reduction of the ventricular thrombus.
- This finding strongly suggested cardioembolism as the cause of recurrent brain infarction.
Implications:
- Cardiac evaluation using CT angiography can be beneficial in acute stroke settings.
- DECT angiography is valuable for thrombus detection and differentiating thrombus from myocardial tissue and slow contrast flow.
Abstract:
This case report describes a patient who experienced a recurrent ischemic stroke within 24 h. Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) angiography on admission showed 2 intracardiac thrombi, 1 in the left ventricle and 1 in the left atrial appendage. Following the second ischemic event, repeated DECT angiography showed that the ventricular thrombus had considerably diminished, suggesting that the recurrent brain infarction was caused by cardioembolism. This case emphasizes (1) the potential benefit of cardiac evaluation through CT angiography in the acute stroke setting, and (2) the use of DECT angiography for the detection of thrombus and the differentiation between thrombus, the myocardial wall, and a slow flow of contrast.
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