Application of transesophageal echocardiography to aortic embolic stroke.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the relative value of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in exploring the potential embolic source (PES) in heart and aortic arch and to study the clinical significance of aortic arch atherosclerosis (AAA).


METHODS
Forty-nine patients with cerebral embolism were included in this study. TEE and TTE were used to evaluate the potential source of emboli in aortic arch, heart and duplex in the carotid artery. An atherosclerotic lesion of the aortic arch was defined as normal, mild plaque, moderate plaque, and protruding plaque or mobile plaque.


RESULTS
Of the 49 patients, 31 (63%) patients showed evidence of AAA: 7 (14.1%) patients were mild, 9 (18.4%) were moderate and 15 (30.6%) were severe. In those 15 patients, 11 had neither severe ICAA nor heart disease. Thirty-three patients had internal carotid arterial atherosclerosis (ICAA). The potential sources of embolization of heart and aortic arch is 48.98% by TEE, but only 18.4% by TTE; 9 patients had heart disease. Age and ICAA were significantly correlated with AAA.


CONCLUSIONS
At present, TEE is a better method for exploring atherosclerotic lesions in the thoracic aorta. AAA is an important potential source of cerebral embolic stroke.
Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Shenzhen 518020, China. guoyi666@21cn.com
Yi
Y
Guo
Xin
X
Jiang
Shaowen
S
Zhang
Shi
S
Chen
Guangzhan
G
Li
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D004452:Echocardiography; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology