[Is necessary to perform a transthoracic echocardiogram in all the patients with cryptogenic stroke during hospitalization?].

INTRODUCTION

From 15 to 30% of all ischemic strokes are cardioembolic. Transthoracic echocardiography plays a key role in the evaluation, diagnosis and management of the embolic source. The absence of official recommendations for the use of echocardiography in patients with ischemic stroke leads to a universal application showing low diagnostic efficiency.

AIM: To analyze the diagnostic accuracy of echocardiograpm in patients with ischemic stroke in two situations: with universal indication and after the application of risk clinical criteria.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Analysis of the echocardiograms performed on patients with acute ischemic stroke from the stroke unit during the years 2009-2011. We study the diagnostic and etiological contribution to the etiological study. Apply a selection criteria: 'high risk patient with need of test performance during admission' (age < 60 years, abnormal baseline electrocardiogram, cardiomegaly on chest radiograph or baseline history of heart disease, suspected endocarditis and/or active neoplasia) and analyzed their validity.

RESULTS

From 930 inpatients, 201 (21.6%), underwent echocardiogram. Cardioembolic source was detected in 9.95%. After application of selection criteria, only 97 patients (10.4%) should have undergone it. The proposed criteria have a sensitivity 95%, specificity 56.9%, positive predictive value 19.6% and negative predictive value of 99%.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of our criteria in undetermined stroke patients help us to identify with high efficiency cardioembolic sources postponing the test to an ambulatory scenario in the rest of the patients.