Atrial septal aneurysm: association with cerebrovascular and peripheral embolic events

Stroke. 1987 Sep-Oct;18(5):856-62. doi: 10.1161/01.str.18.5.856.

Abstract

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / etiology*
  • Echocardiography
  • Embolism / etiology*
  • Female
  • Heart Aneurysm / complications*
  • Heart Aneurysm / diagnosis
  • Heart Septum
  • Humans
  • Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / etiology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies