[The patient with acute cerebrovascular disorders: assessment of associated diseases]. / O doente com acidente vascular cerebral agudo: avaliação da patologia associada.

We performed a prospective study in 106 patients with acute stroke. The main purpose was to evaluate the associated diseases and to determine their prevalence and incidence in two different types of cerebrovascular disease: the intracerebral hemorrhage (HI) and ischaemic events (AI). The studied population included 54 men and 52 women with a mean age of 66.8 +/- 10.3 years. A clinical examination was performed in all patients by different specialists and all were submitted to diverse complementary tests, including a computed tomography scan of the brain (TAC) and an echocardiogram (ECO). We found 24 (23%) HI and 82 (77%) AI. In the past history, previous stroke were more prevalent in AI (p less than 0.01). Heart disease was present in 87 (82%) patients but, among them, only atrial fibrillation which was found in 19 (18%) patients, was significantly more frequent in AI (p less than 0.02). Hypertension (HTA) existed in 79 (75%) patients, respiratory complications and periferic vascular disease in 9 (8%), diabetes in 44 (42%) and dyslipidemia in 31 (29%) patients. No significant difference was found between the two groups of stroke regarding these diseases; however, there was a tendency for HTA and diabetes to be more prevalent in HI and for periferic vascular disease in AI. In the blood tests, high haematocrit was found in 35 (33%) patients, anemia in 21 (20%), hypercholesterolemia in 17 (16%), hypertrigliceridemia in 18 (17%) and uremia or creatinemia or ionic alteration in 32 (30%) patients, without any difference in their prevalence and incidence in the two groups of stroke. In conclusion, in this prospective study of patients with an acute stroke, there was 23% of HI and 77% of AI, a high prevalence of previous stroke, heart disease and HTA, but only the previous stroke and, within heart disease, the atrial fibrillation were significantly more frequent in the AI group. Also, periferic vascular disease had a tendency to be more frequent in AI, as well as diabetes and HTA had in HI.

[The importance of heart disease in the various types of cerebral vascular disease. A prospective study]. / A importância da doença cardíaca nos vários tipos de Acidente Vascular Cerebral. Estudo prospectivo.

UNLABELLED: A prospective study was performed in 106 patients with acute stroke. The main purpose was the cardiac evaluation in the different types of cerebrovascular disease: Intracerebral hemorrhage (H), Cortical ischaemic events (C) and Subcortical ischaemic events (SC) and also to evaluate the interest of echocardiography in detecting occult cardiac sources of emboli. The study population included 54 men and 52 women with a mean age of 66.8 +/- 10.3 years. A thorough neurologic and cardiologic study with a computed tomography of the brain (TAC) and an echocardiogram (ECO) were performed in all patients. It was found 24 (23%) of H, 40 (38%) of C and 32 (30%) of SC. In the past history, heart diseases were more prevalent in C (p less than 0.04); previous stroke and systemic hypertension (HTA) were less prevalent in H (p less than 0.008) and in C (p less than 0.004), respectively. Atrial fibrillation (FA) was more frequent in ischaemic stroke (p less than 0.02) and within these in C (p less than 0.005). No more clinical and functional cardiac features or echocardiographic aspects had any difference in their prevalence in different types of stroke. Without clinical heart disease there were 19 (18%) cases but only in 10 were found in their echocardiograms a potentially embolic heart disease (PEHD) but 8 of them had questionable pathologic significance. IN CONCLUSION: C had more heart disease in their past history; FA is more frequent in C; it is difficult to diagnose a cerebral embolism with only a coexistent C and CPE, but if there is FA or a past history of heart disease in a C, the diagnosis of cerebral embolism is more probable; finally, echocardiography is of limited value to diagnose a PEHD in the elderly, however it makes possible to better evaluate most cardiac situations.