CARDIOEMBOLIC INFARCTION IN THE SAGRAT-COR-ALIANZA-HOSPITAL OF BARCELONA STROKE REGISTRY

Objectives - To describe the clinical features of cardioembolic infarc ts. Material & methods - Cardioembolic infarct was diagnosed in 231 (1 5.4%) of 1500 consecutive stroke patients included in a prospective st roke registry over an 8-year period. Results - Cardiac sources of embo li included isolated atrial dysrhythmia (57.1%), valvular heart diseas e (20.3%); and coronary artery disease (18.2%), Patients with cardioem bolic stroke showed a significantly higher (P < 0.00001) frequency of sudden onset of neurological deficit (79.7%) and altered consciousness (31.2%) than patients with lacunar infarct (38% and 1.9%) and atherot hrombotic infarction (46% and 24%). Eleven patients had a spectacular shrinking deficit and 6 a presumed cardioembolic lacunar infarct. Earl y recurrent embolisms occurred in 6.5%, of patients mostly (60%) withi n 7 days of initial embolism, In-hospital mortality was 27.3% (0.8% in lacunar infarcts, 21.7% in atherothrombotic infarction, P < 0.00001). Conclusion - Cardioembolic infarction is a severe subtype of stroke w ith a high risk of early death. Clinical features at stroke onset may help clinicians to differentiate cerebral infarction subtypes and to e stablish prognosis more accurately.