Paradoxical Emboli as a Cause of Stroke

We present two cases of PDE resulting in acute ischemic events. A 63-year-old female presented for evaluation of left upper extremity numbness. Imaging was significant for an acute right middle cerebral artery infarct and evidence of a large saddle pulmonary embolism. The patient's stroke was postulated to have been secondary to a patent foramen ovale (PFO). An 87-year-old male presented for evaluation of chest pain. The patient underwent three-vessel CABG and experienced an acute left hemispheric stroke post-operatively. Transthoracic echocardiogram demonstrated a biatrial thrombus transversing a PFO and was postulated to have been the cause. The prompt diagnosis of PDE is paramount to preventing the morbidity associated with repeat ischemic events.PMID:36854125 | DOI:10.1177/00031348231161704

Source: The American Surgeon - February 28, 2023 Category: Surgery Authors: Ilya Sakharuk Peter Drevets Philip Coffey Wasef Nijim Vijay Patel Source Type: research