title: Unusual Cerebral Emboli.
abstract: The heart and the carotid arteries are the most common sites of origin of embolic disease to the brain. Clots arising from these locations are the most common types of brain emboli. Less common cerebral emboli include air, fat, calcium, infected vegetations, and tumor cells as well as emboli originating in the venous system. Although infarcts can be the final result of any type of embolism, described herein are the ancillary and sometimes unique imaging features of less common types of cerebral emboli that may allow for a specific diagnosis to be made or at least suspected in many patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital, 1053 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4E9, Canada.
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zakhari
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, Room 3326 Old Infirmary Building, Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7510, USA.
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, 1053 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4E9, Canada. Electronic address: catorres@toh.on.ca.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D020766:Intracranial Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Air embolism; Cerebral embolism; Fat embolism; Myxoma; Paradoxic embolism; Septic emboli