Micro embolic signals in patients with cerebral ischaemic events.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of micro embolic signals (MES) in patients with a cerebral ischaemia using transcranial doppler monitoring and to find out its diagnostic relevance. We prospectively performed bilateral multigated transcranial doppler monitoring from both middle cerebral arteries in 359 patients with an acute or recent (<4 weeks) cerebral ischaemic event, and in 182 control subjects without a cerebral ischaemic event. MES were analysed according to the standardised protocol. Patients with cerebral ischaemic events had a significantly higher (p<0.00001) rate of MES occurrence (31.8%) than control subjects (5.5%). MES were detected significantly higher in patients with partial or total anterior circulation infarcts (39.1%) than in those with lacunar infarcts (26.0%) or transient ischaemic attacks (27.3%). A correlation of MES and neuroimaging finding was also tried. TCD was found to have a predictive role in microemboli monitoring, predominantly in patients with large vessel territory infarction.