An Analysis of Epidemiological and Etiological Aspects of Cerebrovascular Events

Cerebrovascular stroke is a major public health concern, with ischemic strokes being the most prevalent and cardioembolic origins playing a significant role.This study aimed to determine the in hospital prevalence of cardiovascular disease in patients with ischemic stroke and evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic impact of complementary examinations. Conducted over a 2 -year period (June 2022 -May 2024) at private hospital, the retrospective study included 300 cases of ischemic stroke admitted to the cardiology and neurology departments. Routine diagnostic tests such as ECG, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and Doppler ultrasound of the neck vessels were utilized, with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and Holter ECG performed selectively. A significant majority, 80%, had at least one cardiovascular risk factor, and 7.6% had a history of hypokinetic cardiomyopathy in its dilated stage. The average time to consultation was 26 hours, indicating that 65% of patients had scores below 10, 21% had scores between 10 and 20, and 14% had scores above 20. Abnormal ECGs were found in 67.6% of cases, and TTE revealed abnormalities in 63%, primarily left atrial dilation. TEE, conducted in 8% of cases, identified several significant findings, including inter atrial aneurysm with patent foramen ovale, left atrial thrombus, one left atrial myxoma, mitral valve wing block, and complex aortic atheroma. Holter ECG detected atrial fibrillation in 27 cases. These results underscore that ischemic stroke etiologies are predominantly lacunar infarctions and cardioembolic heart disease, with atherosclerosis also notable. Effective management relies on early diagnosis and thorough etiological assessment to improve patient outcomes and address cryptogenic strokes.