Right-left propensity and lesion patterns between cardiogenic and aortogenic cerebral embolisms.

Abstract

Based on thrombus location and nature and anatomic features of aorta and cerebral arteries, we hypothesized that cardiogenic embolisms (CE) and aortogenic embolisms (AE) might have different right-left propensity and lesion patterns. We retrospectively reviewed patients with acute ischemic stroke with high-risk CE sources or moderate-or-severe aortic atherosclerotic plaques on transesophageal echocardiography. Lesion side and patterns on diffusion-weighted imaging were compared between CE and AE. CE was identified in 123 and AE in 63. In multivariate analysis, right-sided lesions and corticosubcortical infarcts were independently associated with CE, and left-sided lesions and pial infarcts were independently associated with AE. CE and AE have different radiological characteristics, as shown by the right-left propensity and lesions patterns of cerebral infarcts.