BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We studied the frequency and grade of atherosclerotic changes in the thoracic aorta and their significance as embologenic lesions in patients with stroke. METHODS Using transesophageal echocardiography, we evaluated complicated lesions in the thoracic aortas of 62 patients who met our clinical criteria for embolic stroke. A complicated lesion was defined as a raised les...

Early and accurate detection of microemboli is important for monitoring of preventive therapy in stroke-prone patients. Embolic signals have large amplitude and show transient characteristics because of their reflectivity and size compared to the blood cells. One of the problems in detection of microemboli is the identification of an embolic signal caused by very small microemboli. The amplitud...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Inhibition of von Willebrand factor offers a novel approach to prevention of stroke and myocardial ischemia but has not yet been demonstrated to show efficacy on clinically relevant end points. ARC1779 is an aptamer that inhibits the prothrombotic function of von Willebrand factor by binding to the A1 domain of von Willebrand factor and thereby blocking its interaction wi...

OBJECTIVES Opinions differ regarding the clinical significance of subclinical thyroid disorders. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence and influence of previously unknown overt or subclinical thyroid dysfunction in patients with acute ischemic stroke and to look for differences between cardio-embolic and non-embolic ischemic stroke. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 153 Sw...

Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet agent widely used in combination with aspirin to limit the occurrence of cardiovascular (embolic/thrombotic) events. Consensus guidelines recommend proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) as a gastrointestinal (GI) prophylactic measure for all patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy with clopidogrel and aspirin. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of ...

BACKGROUND Neurological decompression sickness (DCS/AGE) may cover two variants with either severer and probably central nervous (Type A) or milder and sometimes doubtful neurological symptoms (Type B). The pathophysiology of the Type B-DCS/AGE might be different from the Type A-variant. In Type A-DCS/AGE a higher PFO-prevalence (patent foramen ovale) points towards an embolic origin of the Typ...

Percutaneous intervention for the treatment of coronary and peripheral atherosclerotic disease has become a well established technique, and has been recently extended also to the carotid arena. However, distal embolisation of particulate matter, including plaque debris such as fibrin, necrotic atheromatous core, foam cells, cholesterol clefts, and thrombus, at the time of balloon inflation or s...

The present study compares gene expression and infarct area in a mouse model of embolic stroke after thrombolysis with t-PA and SMTP-7. Embolic occlusion was induced by transfer of acetic acid-induced embolus into the brain. t-PA or SMTP-7 was administered 3 h after embolization. Changes in gene expression were evaluated using microarray and RT-PCR analysis. To determine the involvement of reac...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Precise control of the polymerization dynamics of cyanoacrylate mixtures used in the embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations is required to achieve a safe and permanent obliteration of the lesion. In this study, in vivo embolization using mixtures of Histoacryl, Lipiodol Ultra-Fluid, and glacial acetic acid (GAA) was investigated. The present study investigat...