CT Scanning for Cardiac Sources of Embolism

In patients with recent strokes, cardiac CT using 64-slice technology can detect most of the high-risk cardiac sources of embolism identified by transesophageal echocardiography.

Around one third of strokes are caused by cardiogenic sources, which include atrial thrombi, vegetations, paradoxical emboli, tumors, and atherosclerosis in the thoracic aorta. To search for sources of emboli, many patients with stroke undergo transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), but TEE is associated with rare adverse events and is semi-invasive. Many patients with stroke forgo testing for a cardiogenic source or undergo transthoracic echocardiography, which is much less sensitive than TEE.

To investigate CT as an alternative test, researchers studied 64-slice CT of the heart and aorta, with contrast, in 137 patients who had >2 risk factors for coronary artery disease, had had a nonhemorrhagic stroke, and had undergone TEE within 1 week …

Reviewing Author

Richard T. Lee, MD

CT Scanning for Cardiac Sources of Embolism

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Reviewing Author