BackgroundEmbolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) recurrence and functional outcome from long-term follow-up is not well delineated. The purpose of this study is to compare these functional variables between ESUS vs. cardioembolic stroke (CS) patients.MethodsWe analyzed data of consecutive ESUS and CS patients from our institutional database, from January 2003 until April 2015. The endpoints were stroke recurrence, mortality and poor clinical outcome (Modified Rankin Score 3–6), at discharge, 6 months and final follow-up. Adjusted multivariate Cox analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate the probability of recurrence and death.Results149 ESUS (median age 44 years) and 235 CS (median age 66 years) consecutive patients were included in the study. Median follow-up period for the entire sample was 19 months (interquartile range 6.0–45.0 months). Stroke recurrence was similar between ESUS and CS patients (5.4% vs. 9.8% respectively, p = 0.12). Death occurred in 30 CS cases (12.8%), with a cumulative probability of survival of 77%. Poor functional outcome was present in 58.3%, 54.0% and 54.9% at discharge, 6 months and final follow-up respectively in CS patients, significantly worst compared to ESUS cases (HR 3.1; CI 95% 1.96–4.68). Oral anticoagulation presents with a HR 8.01 for recurrence, and antiplatelet therapy had the highest risk for recurrence for both groups (HR 24.3).ConclusionESUS patients are substantially younger than CS patients but have a stroke recurrence rate similar to CS patients, with a lower mortality rate, and better functional outcome on long-term follow-up.

No abstract

No abstract

In order to determine the effect of right atrial dysfunction on clinical outcome, six patients with inferior myocardial infarction with extension to right ventricle and right atrium involving only obstructions of the right coronary artery were examined with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) at the time of the event. Five of the patients were reexamined 15 to 55 months later. Two patients underwent thrombolysis and maintained ratios of right-to-left ventricular diameters of less than 1, as well as normal convexity of the interatrial septum. One patient had spontaneous reperfusion of the right coronary artery, reduction in right ventricular diameter, and normalization of interatrial septum. Another patient underwent delayed angioplasty and manifested a diminished wall movement score (WMS) in the follow-up echocardiogram. One patient died during his first hospitalization with significant right ventricular dilatation, inverted convexity of the interatrial septum, and right atrial thrombosis. The last patient died during follow-up with right ventricular dilatation, increased WMS, right atrial akinesis, and inverted interatrial convexity. Serial TEE examination of patients with infarction of the left ventricular inferior wall is a safe technique for determining the degree of the extension of the ischemic process to the right chambers.

No abstract