title: Cryptogenic stroke and the left atrial septal pouch: a case report.
abstract: The left atrial septal pouch (LASP) is an anatomic variant of the interatrial septum and may be a nidus for thromboembolism. We present the case of a 49 year-old man without known vascular risk factors who experienced bi-hemispheric strokes over the course of 10 days, suggestive of multiple emboli. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed a prominent LASP. We suggest that presence of LASP was a likely cause of stroke in this patient and that further study of a possible association between LASP and ischemic stroke in younger individuals may be warranted.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California-Irvine Medical Center, Orange, California.
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lombardo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California-Irvine Medical Center, Orange, California.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Handwerker
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, California; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California. Electronic address: mfisher@uci.edu.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D020766:Intracranial Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Cryptogenic stroke; cardioembolism; ischemic stroke; left atrial septal pouch