Abstract
An embolus is an intravascular mass, which usually comprises a thrombus, atheromatous, or cellular matter that has entered the circulation and causes symptoms by lodging in end arteries and interrupting blood flow to the organs. Emboli from the venous system can enter the right side of the heart and cause pulmonary emboli, whereas those originating from the left side of the heart and great arteries can cause infarcts in the brain, kidneys, intestines, and skin. Although small strokes and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are often caused by atheromatous debris from the aorta or major cerebral arteries, an embolus large enough to occlude multiple major peripheral or visceral arteries is more likely to originate from the heart. A paradoxical embolus is a systemic infarct in which the source of the embolus is thought to be from the venous system, which has bypassed the pulmonary circulation by means of an intracardiac shunt, and crossed into the arterial circulation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Suggested Reading
Amarenco P, Cohen A, Tzourio C, et al. Atherosclerotic disease of the aortic arch and the risk of ischemic stroke. N Engl J Med 1994;331:1474–1479.
Beattie JR, Cohen DJ, Manning WJ, Douglas PS. Role of routine transthoracic echocardiography in evaluation and management of stroke. J Int Med 1998;243:281–291.
Brickner ME. Cardioembolic stroke. Am J Med 1996;100:465–174.
Cerebral Embolism Task Force. Cardiogenic brain embolism. The second report of the Cerebral Embolism Task Force. Arch Neurol 1989;46:727–743.
Cheitlin MD, Alpert JS, Armstrong WF, et al. ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Clinical Application of Echocardiography. A report of the American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Committee on Clinical Application of Echocardiography). Developed in collaboration with the American Society of Echocardiography. Circulation 1997;95:1686–1744.
Kistler JP, Ropper AH, Heros RC. Therapy of ischemic cerebral vascular disease due to atherothrombosis. N Engl J Med 1984;311:27–34;100-105.
O’Brien PJ, Thiemann DR, McNamara RL, et al. Usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in predicting mortality and morbidity in stroke patients without clinically known cardiac sources of embolus. Am J Card 1998;81:1144–1151.
Overell JR, Bone I, Lees KR. Interatrial septal abnormalities and stroke: a meta-analysis of case-control studies. Neurology 2000;55:1172–1179.
The French Study of Aortic Plaques in Stroke Group. Atherosclerotic disease of the aortic arch as a risk factor for recurrent ischemic stroke. New Engl J Med 1996;334:1216–1221.
The Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Investigators Committee on Echocardiography. Transesophageal echocardiographic correlates of thromboembolism in high-risk patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Ann Intern Med 1998;128:639–647.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wu, J.C. (2007). Cardiac Source of Embolus. In: Solomon, S.D., Bulwer, B. (eds) Essential Echocardiography. Contemporary Cardiology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-977-6_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-977-6_17
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-322-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-977-6
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)