Nonvalvular atrial fibrillation as a cause of fatal massive cerebral infarction in the elderly.
نویسندگان
چکیده
By studying 3,408 consecutive autopsied elderly patients, we found that two thirds of the 132 massive cerebral infarctions (86) were embolic, of cardiac origin. Embolic infarction associated with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation was seen in 48 cases (36%), half due to the first stroke. Embolic infarction associated with heart disease other than nonvalvular atrial fibrillation was seen in 23 cases (17%), and that from nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis was seen in 15 cases (11%). Thrombotic infarction or infarction of nonembolic cardiac origin was found in only 39 cases (30%). Of 56 patients with fatal massive cerebral infarction who died less than or equal to 2 weeks after their stroke, 25 (45%) had embolic strokes associated with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Our study shows that nonvalvular atrial fibrillation is a very important cause of fatal massive cerebral infarction in the elderly.
منابع مشابه
Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke
Cardioembolism, responsible for approximately one-third of cerebral infarctions in Japan, causes serious cerebral infarction with poor prognosis. Nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is the most important cause of cardioembolism. Both the occurrence of NVAF and the frequency of its progression to cerebral infarction increase with age. Timely introduction of warfarin depending on the presence ...
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ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Stroke
دوره 20 12 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 1989