Key result
Patients with undetermined stroke cause had increased atrial fibrosis (P=0.03) compared to those with other stroke causes, showing similar values to patients with atrial fibrillation.
Why the study?
Do patients with ischemic stroke of undetermined cause have increased atrial fibrosis on cardiac MRI compared to those with other stroke causes?
Observational
Do patients with ischemic stroke of undetermined cause have increased atrial fibrosis on cardiac MRI compared to those with other stroke causes?
p-value: p==0.03
Patients with stroke of undetermined cause exhibit increased atrial fibrosis on cardiac MRI, suggesting an underlying atrial disease may be associated with these strokes.
May link atrial fibrosis to undetermined stroke; hypothesis-generating for atrial cardiopathy but should not yet change practice.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Some patients with ischemic strokes that are currently classified as having an undetermined cause may have structural or functional changes of the left atrium (LA) and left atrial appendage, which increase their risk of thromboembolism. We compared the LA and left atrial appendage of patients with different ischemic stroke causes using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. METHODS: We prospectively included a consecutive sample of ischemic stroke patients. Patients with structural changes on echocardiography currently considered as causal for stroke in the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification were excluded. A 3-T cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed. RESULTS: =0.03) than patients with other stroke causes and lower, although not statistically significant, values of LA ejection fraction. Patients with atrial fibrillation and undetermined stroke cause showed a similar value of atrial fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: The LA phenotype that was found in patients with undetermined cause supports the hypothesis that an atrial disease may be associated with stroke.
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Fonseca et al. (2018) conducted an observational in Ischemic stroke. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (3-T) vs. Patients with other stroke causes was evaluated on Atrial fibrosis and left atrial ejection fraction (p==0.03). Patients with undetermined stroke cause had increased atrial fibrosis (P=0.03) compared to those with other stroke causes, showing similar values to patients with atrial fibrillation.
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