This case highlights the use of medical therapy (antiplatelets, anticoagulants, and statins) for managing a large, mobile aortic arch atheromatous plaque complicated by a cerebrovascular accident.
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Case of mobile aortic atheroma in elderly stroke patient; leaves open optimal antithrombotic strategy pending controlled data.
Aortic atheromas (aortic atheromatous plaques) are defined by an irregular thickening of the intima ≥2 mm, and a complex plaque is defined as a protruding atheroma ≥4 mm with or without an attached mobile component. Stroke incidence is approximately 25% in patients with mobile plaques of the aortic arch and 2% in patients with quiescent nonmobile plaques. Antiplatelet agents, oral anticoagulants, and statins have been suggested in the management of atheromas. We present an 80-year-old male, with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and chronic dysarthria, found to have an acute cerebrovascular accident (CVA) secondary to embolism from a large 12 mm aortic arch plaque, treated medically with oral antiplatelet therapy, anticoagulation, and statin therapy.
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Alvarez et al. (2018) studied this question.
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