This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Belkin, R. N. Articles by Kisslo, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Belkin, R. N. Articles by Kisslo, J.

Stroke, Vol 18, 856-862, Copyright © 1987 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Atrial septal aneurysm: association with cerebrovascular and peripheral embolic events

RN Belkin, BJ Hurwitz and J Kisslo

Patient records in 36 consecutively identified patients with typical echocardiographic findings of atrial septal aneurysm were reviewed. Ten of the 36 (28%) had cerebrovascular events. Of these 10, 5 had completed strokes of definite embolic origin on the basis of clinical, angiographic, and computed tomographic findings; 2 had transient ischemic attacks of probable embolic origin. One of the 36 patients had a definite peripheral vascular embolus. Thus, 6 of 36 consecutively identified patients with atrial septal aneurysm (17%) had definite embolic events and 8 of 36 (22%) had definite or possible embolic events. The cause of the association between atrial septal aneurysm and emboli is unknown. While aneurysm-associated thrombus has been suggested, the high proportion (90%) of patients with interatrial shunting demonstrated by contrast echocardiography in this study suggests paradoxical embolization as a potential cause. Whatever its mechanism, the high prevalence of embolic events in this series strongly supports the premise that atrial septal aneurysm is a cardiac abnormality with embolic potential.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. F. Cianciulli and M. C. Saccheri Reply to the Letter to the Editor: Comments on "Atrial septal aneurysm and spontaneous echo contrast: An association with higher embolic risk?" by K.M. Krishnamoorthy and N. Namboodiri Eur J Echocardiogr, December 1, 2006; 7(6): 409 - 410. [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. A. Wu, J. F. Malouf, J. A. Dearani, D. J. Hagler, G. S. Reeder, G. W. Petty, and B. K. Khandheria Patent Foramen Ovale in Cryptogenic Stroke: Current Understanding and Management Options Arch Intern Med, May 10, 2004; 164(9): 950 - 956. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Homma, R. L. Sacco, M. R. Di Tullio, R. R. Sciacca, J. P. Mohr, and PICSS Investigators Atrial anatomy in non-cardioembolic stroke patients: Effect of medical therapy J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., September 17, 2003; 42(6): 1066 - 1072. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A.V Mattioli, M Aquilina, A Oldani, C Longhini, and G Mattioli Atrial septal aneurysm as a cardioembolic source in adult patients with stroke and normal carotid arteries. A multicentre study Eur. Heart J., February 1, 2001; 22(3): 261 - 268. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. R. Overell, I. Bone, and K. R. Lees Interatrial septal abnormalities and stroke: A meta-analysis of case-control studies Neurology, October 24, 2000; 55(8): 1172 - 1179. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Ide, H. Ishida, and H. Kato Early Postoperative Stroke in a Patient with an Atrial Septal Aneurysm Anesth. Analg., August 1, 1999; 89(2): 300 - 300. [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Agmon, B. K. Khandheria, I. Meissner, F. Gentile, J. P. Whisnant, J. D. Sicks, W. M. O'Fallon, J. L. Covalt, D. O. Wiebers, and J. B. Seward Frequency of Atrial Septal Aneurysms in Patients With Cerebral Ischemic Events Circulation, April 20, 1999; 99(15): 1942 - 1944. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. F. Warner and K. I. Momah Routine Transesophageal Echocardiography for Cerebral Ischemia: Is It Really Necessary? Arch Intern Med, August 12, 1996; 156(15): 1719 - 1723. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. Mugge, W. G. Daniel, C. Angermann, C. Spes, B. K. Khandheria, I. Kronzon, R. S. Freedberg, A. Keren, K. Dennig, R. Engberding, et al. Atrial Septal Aneurysm in Adult Patients : A Multicenter Study Using Transthoracic and Transesophageal Echocardiography Circulation, June 1, 1995; 91(11): 2785 - 2792. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				E. Chammas, M. Trinca, L. Goullard, D. Leys, and Y. Houdas Multiple Cerebral Infarcts Associated with an Atrial Septal Aneurysm: Superimposed Thrombus Detected by Transesophageal Echocardiography Angiology, April 1, 1995; 46(4): 327 - 331. [Abstract] [PDF]

				F. A. DeRook, K. A. Comess, G. W. Albers, and R. L. Popp Transesophageal Echocardiography in the Evaluation of Stroke Ann Intern Med, December 1, 1992; 117(11): 922 - 932. [Abstract] [PDF]

				Cardiogenic Brain Embolism: The Second Report of the Cerebral Embolism Task Force Arch Neurol, July 1, 1989; 46(7): 727 - 743. [Abstract] [PDF]