Membranous Interventricular Septal Aneurysm (MVSA) as a rare potential cause of embolic stroke: a case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION

Membranous interventricular septum aneurysm is an infrequent source of cardioembolic stroke with only a few cases reported to date.

METHODS

We present a case of recurrent ischaemic stroke in a patient with Membranous Interventricular Septal Aneurysm (MVSA) in whom no alternative embolic sources have been identified despite an exhaustive diagnostic work-up. We consequently conducted a comprehensive literature review of similar stroke cases to characterize their clinical and radiological features.

RESULTS

We report the case of a 42-year-old woman with recurrent cortical ischaemic strokes with no identifiable cause other than a membranous interventricular septum aneurysm.

CONCLUSION

Investigating MVSA should be part of a comprehensive ischaemic stroke work-up, especially in younger patients after excluding more common causes. Unfortunately, due to its rarity and limitations of current diagnostic methods, identifying a membranous interventricular septum aneurysm as the stroke source remains challenging. Anticoagulation or surgical repair may be beneficial treatment options for such cases, albeit there are no established guidelines for their best management.