Multiple ischemic lesions involving multiple vascular territories on DWI (OR 7.13) and elevated D-dimer levels were independently associated with occult active cancer in patients with cryptogenic stroke.
Observational (n=348)
No
Do elevated D-dimer levels and specific DWI lesion patterns predict occult cancer in patients with cryptogenic stroke?
Elevated D-dimer levels and multiple infarcts in multiple vascular territories on DWI can serve as strong indicators of occult cancer in patients presenting with cryptogenic stroke.
Odds Ratio: 7.13 (95% CI 3.42–14.87)
p-value: p=<0.001
BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that hidden malignancy could be detected in patients with cryptogenic stroke without active cancer when they showed the distinctive characteristics of cancer-related stroke. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Among 2,562 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke, patients with cryptogenic stroke were analyzed and categorized into two groups according to the presence of active cancer: cryptogenic stroke with active cancer (cancer-related stroke, CA-stroke) group and without active cancer (CR-stroke) group. Patients with active lung cancer without stroke were also recruited for comparison purposes (CA-control). Clinical factors, lesion patterns on diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI), and laboratory findings were analyzed among groups. A total of 348 patients with cryptogenic stroke were enrolled in this study. Among them, 71 (20.4%) patients had active cancer at the time of stroke. The D-dimer levels were significantly higher in patients with CA-stroke than those with CR-stroke or CA-control (both p<0.001). Regarding lesion patterns, patients with CA-stroke mostly had multiple lesions in multiple vascular territories, while more than 80% of patients with CR-stroke had single/multiple lesions in a single vascular territory (P<0.001). D-dimer levels (OR 1.11 per 1 µg/mL increase; 95% CI 1.06-1.15; P<0.001) and DWI lesion patterns (OR 7.13; 95% CI 3.42-14.87; P<0.001) were independently associated with CA-stroke. Workup for hidden malignancy was performed during hospitalization in 10 patients who showed elevated D-dimer levels and multiple infarcts involving multiple vascular territories but had no known cancer, and it revealed hidden malignancies in all the patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with CA-stroke have distinctive D-dimer levels and lesion patterns. These characteristics can serve as clues to occult cancer in patients with cryptogenic stroke.
Kim et al. (Wed,) conducted a observational in Cryptogenic ischemic stroke (n=348). Multiple vascular territory lesions on DWI vs. Single vascular territory lesions was evaluated on Presence of active cancer (cancer-related stroke) (OR 7.13, 95% CI 3.42-14.87, p=<0.001). Multiple ischemic lesions involving multiple vascular territories on DWI (OR 7.13) and elevated D-dimer levels were independently associated with occult active cancer in patients with cryptogenic stroke.
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