Heart As a Source of Stroke: Imaging Evaluation with Computed Tomography

Stroke from cardiac sources is a major cause of cerebral infarctions and ischemia. Cardiac sources of stroke include intracardiac thrombus, right-to-left shunts, tumors, and slow-flow states resulting from hemodynamic compromise. Computed tomography angiography of the neck is currently used for the evaluation of a suspected stroke. The availability of longer multidetector computed tomography detector arrays and prospective echocardiography triggering techniques could permit evaluation of the chest, head, and neck during the same examination, streamlining patient evaluation and management.