PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL-FIBRILLATION - HIGH-FREQUENCY OF EMBOLIC BRAIN INFARCTION IN ELDERLY AUTOPSY PATIENTS

We examined brains clinicopathologically from 54 consecutive paroxysma l atrial fibrillation (PAF) patients aged 70 years or older and compar ed them with those of 59 age-matched controls. Symptomatic cerebral in farctions were present in 29 PAF patients (53.7%) and in 13 controls ( 22.0%) (p < 0.001). Symptomatic brain infarction was 2.4 times more co mmon in PAF cases than in PAF-free controls; approximately 60% of the infarctions in the PAF cases were judged to be cardioembolic in origin . PAF in the elderly can be an important cause for cardiogenic cerebra l embolism.