Skip Navigation

European Journal of Echocardiography 2004 5(4):304-307; doi:10.1016/j.euje.2004.01.002
© 2004 by European Society of Cardiology
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ascione, L.
Right arrow Articles by Tuccillo, B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ascione, L.
Right arrow Articles by Tuccillo, B.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Copyright © 2004, The European Society of Cardiology

Ultrasonography in embolic stroke: the complementary role of transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography in a case of systemic embolism by tumor invasion of the pulmonary veins in a patient with unknown malignancy involving the lung

Luigi Ascionea,*, Gianluca Granataa, Maria Accadiaa, Giuseppe Marascob, Roberto Santangelob and Bernardino Tuccilloa

aDivision of Cardiology, Santa Maria di Loreto Hospital, Naples, Italy
bDivision of Neurology, Santa Maria di Loreto Hospital, Naples, Italy

Received 21 July 2003; received in revised form 22 December 2003; accepted after revision 5 January 2004.

luigi.ascione20{at}tin.it

* Corresponding author. Viale dei Pini, 4 Portici (NA) 80055, Italy. Tel./fax: +39-081-7755064.


  Abstract

Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography is commonly performed to detect a possible cardiac source of systemic embolism and it has been the mainstay of detection and diagnosis of cardiac masses. The transesophageal approach has enhanced the ability to detect cardiac sources of embolism by allowing a better visualization of posterior cardiac structures such as the left atrium with left atrial appendage, pulmonary veins and thoracic aorta and by providing higher resolution images to improve assessment of the presence and extent of cardiac masses. In this case report, echocardiography, using both transthoracic and transesophageal approach, allowed to detect a neoplastic mass arising from the upper left pulmonary vein in a patient presented with a transient ischemic attack. Further investigations showed a malignancy involving the lung. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in which a cerebral embolic episode represents the clinical onset of a lung cancer, pointing out the importance of echocardiography in all cases of undetermined cerebral ischemic attack.

Keywords: Echocardiography; Cardiogenic embolism; Pulmonary veins; Pulmonary malignancy


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Arch NeurolHome page
B. B. Navi, K. Kawaguchi, I. Hriljac, E. Lavi, L. M. DeAngelis, and D. G. Jamieson
Multifocal Stroke From Tumor Emboli
Arch Neurol, September 1, 2009; 66(9): 1174 - 1175.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.