Embolia cerebral de fonte cardíaca é frequentemente relacionada a acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) em jovem. OBJETIVO: Descrever achados ecocardiográficos em jovens e não jovens com AVC isquêmico, sem suspeita de fonte cardíaca. MÉTODO: Estudo transversal; 523 pacientes (267 homens e 256 mulheres) com AVC isquêmico sem evidência de fonte cardíaca submeteram-se ao ecocardiograma transesofágico (ECOTE). RESULTADOS: 10% dos pacientes tinha 45 anos; ou menos. Hipertrofia do ventrículo esquerdo, aumento do átrio esquerdo, contraste espontâneo na aorta, aneurisma do septo interatrial, calcificação da válvula mitral e aórtica, insuficiência aórtica e placas de ateroma na aorta foram significantemente mais frequentes nos pacientes com mais que 45 anos; 2.8% dos não-jovens apresentaram trombo nas câmaras esquerdas. CONCLUSÃO: ECOTE é amplamente sugerido na investigação de embolia em pacientes jovens, porém parece ser tão importante também no grupo de pacientes mais velhos, nos quais o risco de embolia cerebral é subestimado; etiologia cardioembólica e aterosclerótica coexistem, e ambas devem ser identificadas e tratadas para melhor prognóstico.

Cerebral embolism from cardiac source is an important cause of stroke, specially in patients younger than 45 years old. OBJECTIVE: To describe the transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) findings in young and non-young stroke patients without any prior evidence of cardiac source for cerebral embolism. METHOD: Transversal study: 523 patients (267 men and 256 women) with ischemic stroke, without any evidence of cardiac abnormality, underwent to TEE. RESULTS: Ten percent were aged 45 years; or less. Left ventricle hypertrophy, left atrial enlargement, spontaneous contrast in aorta, interatrial septum aneurysm, mitral and aortic valve calcification, aortic valve regurgitation, and atherosclerotic plaques in aorta were significantly more frequent in patients aged more than 45 years; 2.8% of non-young patients had thrombus in left heart. CONCLUSION: TEE is widely used to diagnose cardiac source of cerebral embolism in young patients, but it seems to be as useful for older ones, in whom cerebral embolism risk is underestimated; atherogenic and cardioembolic causes may actually coexist, and both should be treated.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar os efeitos da abertura efetiva da valva mitral estenótica através da valvotomia percutânea por cateter balão na função do apêndice atrial esquerdo. MÉTODOS: Foram estudados 12 pacientes com estenose mitral sintomática, em ritmo sinusal, submetidos ao ecocardiograma transesofágico antes e após valvotomia percutânea por cateter balão efetiva. Em relação ao apêndice atrial esquerdo, foram analisadas ao Doppler pulsátil as velocidades máximas e respectivas integrais dos fluxos anterógrado e retrógrado, além da fração de ejeção calculada pela planimetria da área desta estrutura. RESULTADOS: Houve aumento significante das velocidades de fluxo anterógrado do apêndice atrial esquerdo após valvotomia percutânea por cateter balão (pré: média de 0,30 m/s; pós: média de 0,47 m/s; p<0,05) e de suas respectivas integrais. O mesmo ocorreu com as velocidades de fluxo retrógrado (pré: média de 0,35 m/s, pós: média de 0,53 m/s; p<0,05). Houve tendência de aumento da fração de ejeção do apêndice atrial esquerdo após o procedimento (pré: média de 20%, pós: média de 31%; p=0,08). CONCLUSÃO: A abertura efetiva do orifício mitral estenosado decorrente da valvotomia percutânea por cateter balão determinou melhora do padrão de fluxo do apêndice atrial esquerdo, o que potencialmente pode contribuir para redução do risco embólico.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of the relief of the mitral stenosis by percutaneous ballon valvotomy in the function of the left atrial appendage. METHODS: Twelve patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis, in sinus rhythm, were studied. They were submitted to the transesophageal echocardiogram before and after effective percutaneous ballon valvotomy. Concerning the left atrial appendage, the peak flow velocities and the respective integral of the anterograde and retrograde flow, in addition to the ejection fraction calculated through the planimetry of the area of that structure, were analyzed at the pulsatile Doppler. RESULTS: There was a significant increase of the anterograde flow velocity of the left atrial appendage after percutaneous ballon valvotomy (pre: mean of 0.30 m/s; post: mean of 0.47 m/s; p<0.05) and their respective integrals. The same happened with the retrograde flow velocity (pre: mean of 0.35 m/s, post: mean of 0.53 m/s; p<0.05). There was a tendency of increase of the ejection fraction of the left atrial appendage after the procedure (pre: mean of 20%, post: mean of 31%; p=0.08). CONCLUSION: The effective opening of the stenosed mitral orifice resulting from the percutaneous ballon valvotomy determined an improvement of the flow pattern of the left atrial appendage, which can potentially contribute for the reduction of the embolic risk.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of transeophageal echocardiography on management of patients at low-risk for cardiogenic embolism to prevent new potential cardiovascular sources of emboli. METHODS: We studied 69 patients with ischemic stroke at low-risk for cardiogenic embolism. Transeophageal echocardiography was performed to access: left atrium enlargement; communication or aneurysm of the interatrial septum; patent foramen ovale; spontaneous echo contrast or intracavitary thrombi; the presence of intraaortic atherosclerotic plaques or thrombi; significant valvar morphologic alteration or dysfunction; left ventricle enlargement, hypertrophy, or contractile abnormality. Transesophageal echocardiography altered clinical management, and we adopted anticoagulant therapy or another procedure apart from the use of acetylsalicylic acid. RESULTS: Transeophageal echocardiography detected at least one abnormality in 40 cases (58%). Clinical conduct was adjusted after the performance of transesophageal echocardiography in 11 patients (15.9%); anticoagulation was added in 10 cases and surgical correction in one patient. CONCLUSION: Transeophageal echocardiography was a very useful tool in the secondary prevention for stroke in patients at low risk for cardiogenic embolism.