Key result
Transesophageal echocardiography revealed protruding atherosclerotic plaques with freely mobile projections in the aortic arch as a potential source of cerebral embolism in two patients with unexplained stroke.
Case Report (n=2)
Transesophageal echocardiography can identify protruding atherosclerotic plaques with mobile projections in the aortic arch, which should be considered as a potential source of embolism in patients with unexplained stroke.
May support TEE for aortic arch evaluation in unexplained stroke; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective validation.
We recently studied two patients with cerebral embolism, in whom transesophageal echocardiography revealed protruding atherosclerotic plaques with freely mobile projections in the aortic arch. Ultrasonic imaging showed that the carotid artery was normal, and transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography did not reveal a cardiac embolic source in either case. In one patient, we observed that an atherosclerotic plaque became ulcerated and developed mobile projections over the course of a year. More consideration should be given to the thoracic aorta as a source of embolism in patients with unexplained stroke.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Mochizuki et al. (1993) conducted a case report in Unexplained stroke / cerebral embolism (n=2). Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was evaluated on Detection of protruding atherosclerotic plaques with mobile projections in the aortic arch. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed protruding atherosclerotic plaques with freely mobile projections in the aortic arch as a potential source of cerebral embolism in two patients with unexplained stroke.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: