Asymptomatic Coronary Artery Disease in Japanese Patients With the Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and outcomes of asymptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with the first episode of ischemic stroke.

Methods: Patients admitted to our hospital between November 2001 and January 2009 for the episode of an acute ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack were included. Stress-Tl-201 scintigraphy was performed and followed by coronary angiography (CAG).

Evaluating patients with acute ischemic stroke with special reference to newly developed atrial fibrillation in cerebral embolism.

Background: Cardioembolic strokes are extensive and have a poor prognosis. To identify the cardiovascular risk factors of cardioembolic stroke, we evaluated the cardiovascular status with special reference to persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) combined with the type of acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: We divided 315 consecutive patients admitted to our Department of Neurosurgery with an acute ischemic stroke into four types of brain infarction using clinical history, onset pattern of stroke, and brain imaging: cardioembolic (group E, n = 105), lacunar (group L, n = 92), atherothrombotic (group T, n = 111), and unclassified (n = 7).