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Ischemic Stroke and Mitral Annular Caseous Calcification: A Neglected Embolic Risk in Cardio-Neurological Interface?
Ezgi Yilmaz1, Selin A Duzgun2, Ethem M Arsava1
1Departments of Neurology.
Insights
Caseous mitral annulus calcification (MAC) is more prevalent in stroke patients. This condition significantly increases stroke risk, suggesting it may be a cause of embolic stroke.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- Caseous mitral annulus calcification (MAC) is linked to stroke and embolism.
- Cardiac CT is used to detect caseous MAC.
Purpose of the Study:
- Assess caseous MAC prevalence in acute stroke patients using cardiac CT.
- Identify factors associated with caseous MAC occurrence.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case-control study.
- Included 149 acute ischemic stroke patients with cardiac CT, 300 without cardiac CT, and 268 controls.
- Propensity matching and regression models were used.
Main Results:
- Caseous MAC detected in 5.4% of stroke patients vs. 1.1% in controls (P=0.02).
- Caseous MAC independently increased stroke risk 7.57- to 10.81-fold (P=0.011).
Conclusions:
- Caseous mitral annulus calcific granuloma may cause embolic stroke.
- Further multicenter studies are needed for validation.
Objectives:
Case reports indicate that caseous mitral annulus calcification (MAC), also termed mitral annulus caseous granuloma, may contribute to stroke and systemic embolism. This retrospective case-control study aimed to assess the prevalence of caseous MAC detected through cardiac computed tomography (CT) in an acute stroke cohort and to identify factors associated with its occurrence.
Methods:
A total of 149 patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent emergency cardiac CT, 300 acute ischemic stroke patients who did not undergo cardiac CT, and 268 individuals who underwent cardiac CT but had no history of stroke were included. The first group was consecutively selected (January 2022 to November 2024), while the other 2 groups were identified through propensity matching based on age and sex. Various regression models were applied to determine the degree of association.
Results:
Caseous MAC was detected in 5.4% of stroke patients who underwent cardiac CT, a prevalence significantly higher than in the control group (1.1%, P =0.02). Regression models demonstrated that caseous MAC significantly ( P =0.011) and independently increased stroke risk by a factor of 7.57 to 10.81 (95% CI: 1.54-36.20).
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that caseous mitral annulus calcific granuloma may be a potential cause of embolic stroke. Further prospective, multicenter studies are needed to validate these results.
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