Today, Joe presented the case of a young woman presenting with acute onset of L sided weakness, found to have a paradoxical stroke due to ASD!

Clinical Pearls

• Paradoxical stroke is a diagnosis of exclusion
• Atrial septal defects (ASDs) have been associated with cryptogenic stroke (stroke of unknown etiology).  An embolic source is often not identified.
• Ostium secundum is the most common type of ASD (>70% of cases)
• Indications for ASD closure include the following
  • Symptomatic patient (DOE, platypnea-orthodeoxia)
  • R sided cardiac chamber enlargement
  • Left to right shunt >1.7:1
  • Before pacemaker or device placement
  • After a stroke
• What about PFOs and cryptogenic stroke?
  • In the past, the recommendation was not to close them.  However, the 2017 CLOSE and REDUCE trials (as well as the 2013 RESPECT trial) showed that closure of PFO reduces the risk of a second stroke compared with medical therapy alone.  Thus, the latest ACC recommendation is to close PFOs after stroke!

Etiologies of stroke in a young adult:

1. Hypercoagulable state
   • Inherited disorders
     • Protein C/S deficiency
     • Factor V Leiden
     • Prothrombin 20210 mutation
     • High homocysteine levels
     • Sickle Cell Disease
   • Acquired disorders
     • Pregnancy
     • OCPs
     • Estrogen hormone replacement therapy
     • Malignancy
     • APLS
     • DIC
2. Vasculopathy
   • Noninflammatory
     • Dissection
     • Trauma
     • Connective Tissue Disease
     • Fibromuscular dysplasia
     • Migraine with aura
   • Inflammatory
     • Vasculitis
       • Large vessel: Takayasu, GCA
       • Small to medium: Kawasaki, PAN
     • Secondary vasculitis
       • Bacterial meningitis
       • HIV
       • Varicella
       • Syphilis
       • TB
       • Fungi (esp cocci)
   • Malformations
     • AVMs –> hemorrhagic
     • Aneurysms –> hemorrhagic
   • Venous
     • Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
   • Other
     • Moyamoya
3. Metabolic
   • Vessel injury
     • CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy)
     • Fabry
     • Homocystinuria
   • Pure metabolic
     • MELAS (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes)
     • Organic acid disorders
4. Drugs
   • Cocaine
   • Meth
5. Cardiac
   • Congenital
   • Rheumatic valve disease
   • Mitral Valve Prolapse
   • PFO
   • ASD
   • Endocarditis with septic emboli
   • Atrial myxomas
   • Fibroelastoma
   • Arrhythmias
   • Cardiac surgery

Atrial Septal Defects

• Secundum is seen in 75% of cases
• Exam findings:
  • Fixed split S2
  • Parasternal impulse
  • Mid-systolic mumur at LSB (can be mid-diastolic also)
  • EKG with RV strain and partial RBBB
• Indications for closure:
  • After stroke
  • Symptomatic patient
    • DOE
    • Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome
  • R sided cardiac chamber enlargement
  • L to R shunt > 1.7:1 (based on TTE findings)
  • Before pacemaker/device placement