Cardiocerebral Infarction: A Single Institutional Series

Stroke-heart syndrome: current progress and future outlook

Stroke can lead to cardiac complications such as arrhythmia, myocardial injury, and cardiac dysfunction, collectively termed stroke-heart syndrome (SHS). These cardiac alterations typically peak within 72 h of stroke onset and can have long-term effects on cardiac function. Post-stroke cardiac complications seriously affect prognosis and are the second most frequent cause of death in patients with stroke. Although traditional vascular risk factors contribute to SHS, other potential mechanisms indirectly induced by stroke have also been recognized. Accumulating clinical and experimental evidence has emphasized the role of central autonomic network disorders and inflammation as key pathophysiological mechanisms of SHS. Therefore, an assessment of post-stroke cardiac dysautonomia is necessary. Currently, the development of treatment strategies for SHS is a vital but challenging task. Identifying potential key mediators and signaling pathways of SHS is essential for developing therapeutic targets. Therapies targeting pathophysiological mechanisms may be promising. Remote ischemic conditioning exerts protective effects through humoral, nerve, and immune-inflammatory regulatory mechanisms, potentially preventing the development of SHS. In the future, well-designed trials are required to verify its clinical efficacy. This comprehensive review provides valuable insights for future research.

Concurrent Acute Ischemic Stroke and Myocardial Infarction Associated With Atrial Fibrillation

An 85-year-old man was admitted with dysarthria. Electrocardiography showed atrial fibrillation and prominent ST-segment elevation in V2-V6. Multiple acute cerebral infarctions were observed in brain images. Coronary angiography showed total occlusion of the mid left anterior descending artery. After thrombus aspiration, no atherosclerotic changes were observed on intravascular ultrasound.

Concurrent Cardio-Cerebral Infarction - A Case Report and Literature Review

Concurrent cardio-cerebral infarction (CCI) describes the simultaneous occurrence of an acute myocardial infarction and an acute ischemic stroke. It is a rare phenomenon, and no consensus yet exists on how to best treat it. CCI patients present with variable clinical scenarios and complications which makes the establishment of a treatment guideline difficult. We present here a case of a 67-year-old male with concurrent acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction and acute ischemic stroke due to right middle cerebral artery occlusion who was successfully treated with Tenecteplase and mechanical thrombectomy. A literature review was also conducted in search of potential reasonable management strategies of CCI.

Coronary artery embolism and acute coronary syndrome: A critical appraisal of existing data

The occurrence of coronary artery embolism (CE) has been associated with various clinical conditions, including aortic and mitral prosthetic heart valve implantation, atrial fibrillation (AF), dilated cardiomyopathy, neoplasia, infective endocarditis, atrial septal defect, cardiac tumors, and hypercoagulable states. CE is also a rare cause of myocardial infarction (MI), with a prevalence of about 5%, a figure probably underestimated. The purpose of this article was to determine the current state of knowledge on acute coronary syndrome (ACS) related to CE. We thus performed a comprehensive structured literature search of the MEDLINE database for articles published between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2021. The diagnosis of CE remains difficult despite the currently used Shibata classification, which is based on major criteria, including angiographic characteristics: globular filling defects, saddle thrombi or multiple filling defects and absence of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries. Suspected or confirmed CE requires the identification of an etiology. There are only two published series on CE, including about 50 cases each. The three main causes in these series were: 1) atrial fibrillation (73% vs 28.3%), 2) cardiomyopathy (9.4% vs 25%) and 3) malignancy (9.6% vs 15.1%). Finally, 26.3% of the MI patients with CE had no identifiable cause of CE. When anatomically possible, analyzing the thrombus after thrombectomy may help. MI due to CE requires systematic assessment of other locations, i.e. multiple coronary and extracardiac locations. Simultaneous systemic embolization to the brain (67%), limbs (25%), kidneys (25%) or spleen (4%) is frequent, occurring in approximately 25% of CE-related MI. In the setting of acute MI, CE is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Coronary artery thromboembolism is a rare, non-atherosclerotic, cause of ACS, and prospective studies are needed to evaluate a systematic diagnostic approach and personalized therapeutic strategies.

Coronary Artery Embolism and Myocardial Infarction, case report

Coronary embolism (CE) is a rare cause of non-atherosclerotic acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The clinical presentation is similar to ACS, and the diagnosis is supported by Shibata criteria. Atrial fibrillation is the main reported etiology in CE cases. Management includes percutaneous intervention with thromboaspiration and anticoagulation. The following case is a description of a patient with acute chest pain and recently diagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) with a rapid ventricular response, is described. A thrombotic lesion in the distal right coronary artery (RCA) of embolic origin, was documented. Successful mechanical thromboaspiration was performed; intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) showed no thrombus, dissection, or atherosclerotic plaque. CE is an underdiagnosed cause of ACS; diagnosis relies on Shibata criteria, and patients experience worse outcomes in follow-up.

Simultaneous Cardiocerebral Infarction Associated with Postcoital Activity

BACKGROUND

Cardiocerebral infarction (CCI) is a rare and life-threatening presentation of simultaneous acute myocardial infarction and acute ischemic stroke that requires prompt recognition and proper treatment. CCI is time sensitive and carries a high mortality rate. There is no standardized treatment algorithm that addresses both conditions simultaneously.

CASE REPORT

We present a 29-year-old man with simultaneous myocardial infarction and thrombotic stroke after coital activity. He presented to the Emergency Department with left-sided extremity weakness and numbness and radicular left-sided chest pain. He suffered a cardiac arrest during his evaluation and required emergent percutaneous coronary intervention with stent placement. He was resuscitated successfully and had an uncomplicated clinical course, with improved neurologic recovery prior to discharge. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: CCI is a rare condition that typically occurs in elderly patients with risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Management is challenging due to the time-sensitive nature of diagnosis and treatment of each condition. Treatment is not standardized, unlike individual evidence-based algorithms for thrombotic stroke and acute myocardial infarction. Risks and benefits for each treatment plan should be weighed and therapy should be directed toward the most immediate life-threatening process. This case would add to the literature surrounding this condition and help guide emergency physicians toward the most optimal treatment strategies for this patient population. This case also raises awareness of the existence of this condition and its potential presence in young, otherwise healthy patients.

Concurrent Cardio-Cerebral Infarctions in COVID-19: A Systematic Review of Published Case Reports/Series

Twelve CCI patients were studied with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection. The majority of these patients were males (83.3%) with a median age of 55 years from three geographical locations, constituting the Middle East (7), Spain (3), and the USA (1). In 6 patients, IgG/IgM was positive for COVID-19, 4 with high pretest probability and 2 with positive RT-PCR. Type 2 DM, hyperlipidemia, and smoking were the primary risk factors. Right-sided neurological impairments and verbal impairment were the most common symptoms. Our analysis found 8 (66%) synchronous occurrences. In 58.3% of cases, neuroimaging showed left Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA) infarct and 33.3% right. Carotid artery thrombosis (16.6%), tandem occlusion (8.3%), and carotid stenosis (1%) were also reported in imaging. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) and anticoagulants were conservative therapies (10). Two AMI patients had aspiration thrombectomy, while three AIS patients had intravenous thrombolysis/tissue plasminogen activator (IVT-tPA), 2 had mechanical thrombectomy (MT), and 1 had decompressive craniotomy. Five had COVID-19-positive chest X-rays, whereas 4 were normal. four of 8 STEMI and 3 NSTEMI/UA patients complained chest pain. LV, ICA, and pulmonary embolism were further complications (2). Upon discharge, 7 patients (70%) had residual deficits while 1 patient unfortunately died.

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention for cardio-cerebral infarction: a case report

Background

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are the leading causes of death globally. Cardio-cerebral infarction (CCI) is the rare occurrence of AMI and AIS, either simultaneously or one after the other. Treatment recommendations are not clear in case of the occurrence of AMI and AIS simultaneously, especially the strategy of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Case presentation

We report consecutive seven case series of patients with CCI who underwent primary PCI in our institute. Comorbidities, strategy of primary PCI, and outcomes were investigated. All patients presented with the chief complaints associated with stroke. Atrial fibrillation (AF) was complicated in five of CCI patients, and four of AF patients were not anticoagulated. The major causes of stroke were cardiogenic and/or hemodynamic in this case series. All patients showed total occlusion in the culprit lesion, and six patients had other diseased vessels. Thrombus aspiration was mainly chosen as the reperfusion strategy in PCI. However, only two patients were diagnosed as definitive coronary embolism, and stenting was needed in six patients due to severe atherosclerotic lesion in culprit coronary artery. Final thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) 3 flow was achieved only in four patients. Hemorrhagic complications occurred in three patients. Two patients died during in-hospital stay, and most had to be transferred for rehabilitation.

Conclusions

CCI was a rare but fatal condition in patients who underwent primary PCI. Although CCI was associated with concomitant atrial fibrillation, organic coronary stenosis requiring stenting for revascularization was present in almost all the cases. Given the complexity of coronary artery lesions and high in-hospital mortality, further investigations are needed to determine the optimal treatment strategy.

Endovascular therapy for cardiocerebral infarction associated with atrial fibrillation: A case report and literature review

Background:

Cardiocerebral infarction (CCI) is a rare entity that refers to the simultaneous occurrence of acute myocardial infarction and acute ischemic stroke. The management of CCI patients remains unclear.

Case Description:

An 86-year-old woman with a medical history of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation presented with a sudden onset of consciousness disturbance and right hemiplegia. Computed tomography of the head revealed no intracranial hemorrhage but the left hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign, associated with ST-segment elevation in II, III, and aVF noted on a routine 12-lead electrocardiogram at admission. The patient was immediately brought to the catheterization laboratory and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was performed first, followed by mechanical thrombectomy, resulting in successful revascularization of the both diseases.

Conclusion:

Although the treatment strategy of CCI may depend on the condition of coronary and cerebral ischemia, it may be appropriate to prioritize coronary angiography and PCI if not acute ischemic stroke is critical.

Which one to do first?: a case report of simultaneous acute ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction

Background: Although there are common risk factors for acute ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction, simultaneous onset of both diseases is uncommon. Here, we present a case of acute cerebral infarction with concurrent fatal myocardial infarction. Case Report: A 54-year-old man presented with left hemiparesis, gaze preponderance to the right side, and visual and tactile extinction. Computed tomography angiography showed occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery. ST-elevation myocardial infarction was suspected on electrocardiography. After the injection of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator, thrombectomy was attempted first, and the coronary angiogram was planned after recanalization of the cerebral artery. However, thrombectomy was discontinued because of cardiac arrest. Despite extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and emergency percutaneous coronary intervention, the patient died of multiorgan failure.Conclusion: Double primary acute ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction are rare but may be fatal due to the narrow therapeutic time window for both diseases. Careful consideration of the urgency of cardiac status is essential.

Successful endovascular treatment of simultaneous acute ischaemic stroke and hyperacute ST-elevation myocardial infarction: the first case report of a single-operator cardio-cerebral intervention

Background

The simultaneous management of cardio-cerebral infarctions is an extremely difficult task, as both organs need to receive reperfusion therapy in a limited time to avoid death or permanent disability. The following case is the first published endovascular treatment of synchronous heart and brain infarctions delivered by a single operator with excellent clinical outcome.

Case summary

A 67-year-old female patient was directly transported to the emergency room of a comprehensive stroke centre with acute onset global aphasia and right hemiplegia. The onset to admission time exceeded the 4.5-h time window of systemic thrombolysis. Head computed tomography (CT) excluded extensive early extensive brain damage, CT angiography documented left middle cerebral artery occlusion and mechanical thrombectomy was indicated. Extensive anterior ST elevation was detected on the transport monitor while waiting for in-hospital transfer. The two simultaneously evolving pathologies were handled in a single endovascular procedure that took less than 60 min by a dual-trained interventional cardiologist/neurointerventional surgeon. The patient recovered without any major cardiac or neurologic sequela.

Discussion

Interventional cardiologists, professionally trained through a neurointerventional fellowship programme to perform endovascular stroke interventions according to the latest multi-society position paper, could not only complement stroke teams lacking manpower, but their unique experience could also help the patients suffering from the most devastating forms of cardio-cerebral infarctions.