Asymptomatic acute ischemic stroke after primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute coronary syndrome might be caused mainly by manipulating catheters or devices in the ascending aorta, regardless of the approach to the coronary artery.
BACKGROUND
Asymptomatic acute ischemic stroke (aAIS) following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (p-PCI) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has not been studied in detail.


RESULTS
Of 75 patients who underwent p-PCI, 26 (34.7%) developed aAIS as determined by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Including the approach to the coronary artery (via lower limb or right upper limb), 23 factors were compared between patients with (n=26) and without (n=49) aAIS. Age, hypertension, smoking, plasma glucose levels, Killip grade, right coronary artery (RCA) as culprit vessel, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) time, and the frequency of device insertion into the coronary artery differed in a statistically significant manner. However, multivariate analysis showed that the RCA (odds ratio 3.477) and the frequency of device insertion (1.375) were independent factors linked to the incidence of aAIS. Moreover, anterior or posterior location and left or right cerebral circulation of aAIS were equivalent in both approaches.


CONCLUSIONS
Cranial MRI images following emergency PCI revealed that 34.7% of the patients with ACS had aAIS that might be caused by manipulating the catheter or devices in the ascending aorta, micro-air bubble embolism during injection, or micro-thrombus embolism derived from the ACS lesions during the PCI procedure.
Murai
Motonobu
M
1st Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan. in1288@poh.osaka-med.ac.jp
Hazui
Hiroshi
H
Sugie
Akira
A
Hoshiga
Masaaki
M
Negoro
Nobuyuki
N
Muraoka
Hideyuki
H
Miyamoto
Hiroyuki
H
Kobata
Hitoshi
H
Fukumoto
Hitoshi
H
Ishihara
Tadashi
T
Morita
Hiroshi
H
Hanafusa
Toshiaki
T
D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects; D003331:Coronary Vessels; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology*; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000150:complications