Intracranial microembolic signals in patients with artificial heart valves: drowning in numbers.
Five years after the first description of Doppler microembolic signals, both their clinical significance and underlying material remain a matter of debate. It appears certain that MES depend on valve type and position, while their relation to other clinical parameters, including neurological complications, is still unclear. A number of clinical and experimental studies are reviewed, most of which argue towards gaseous embolic material.
Georgiadis
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D
Department of Neurology, Martin-Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle/Saale, Germany. dimitrios.georgiadis@medizin.uni-halle.de
Lindner
A
A
Zierz
S
S
D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000209:etiology; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*