Etiological structure and comorbidity of cardioembolic stroke

Objective. Cardioembolic (CE) subtype has recently become increasingly important in the structure of brain stroke. This raises the question about the causes of CE stroke at the present stage. Clinical experience shows that the presence of comorbid disorders has a great influence on the course, early diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of the disease. However, the data on the structure of CE stroke and comorbid disorders are contradictory. This article aimed at studying etiological structure of CE stroke and its comorbidities. Design and methods. The study included 62 patients at the acute phase of ischemic stroke aged from 44 to 96 years. The CHA2DS2-VASc scale was used to evaluate the expected annual stroke risk. Results. Our data show that the etiological structure of the CE stroke is presented predominantly by atrial fibrillation, followed by acute myocardial infarction. Compared to atherothrombotic stroke, the CE stroke was found to have a higher comorbidity index. CHA2DS2-VASc total score in patients with CE stroke showed a high risk of recurrent acute cerebrovascular accident. Conclusions. Thus, an interdisciplinary approach to the diagnostic and treatment process involving a cardiologist and neurologist is required in order to improve the effectiveness of therapy and prognosis.