Transcranial Doppler Monitoring in Assessment of a Cerebral Microembolism Expression in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation of the Nonvalval Etiology
The aim of the study is to detect a cerebral microembolism rate and cerebral microembolism expression in patients with atrial fibrillation of the nonvalval etiology to clarify the correlation between the cerebral microembolism values and confirmed clinical and echocardiographic risk factors of the thromboembolic complications development.
Materials and Methods. 121 patients have been examined; 87 patients with different forms of the atrial fibrillation at the age of 34—75 years and 34 patients aged 30—75 years without a cardiac rhythm disturbance. The patient examination has been made according to the standards. Besides, all the patients have undergone an ultrasonic dopplerography of the extra- and intracranial vessels, a transcranial Doppler monitoring of the middle cerebral arteries for an hour and a duplex scanning of the head main arteries.
Results. On a transcranial Doppler monitoring a spontaneous microembolism into the middle cerebral arteries in patients with atrial fibrillation of the nonvalval etiology has been recorded in 92% of cases. A higher rate of a cerebral microembolism proves to be marked if there exists an echocardiographic phenomenon of spontaneous echo-contrast. An expression of a microembolic syndrome appears to be higher in patients with the atrial cavity thrombosis and a spontaneous contrast effect.
Conclusion. Transcranial Doppler monitoring of the middle cerebral arteries in complex examination of patients with the atrial fibrillation promotes revealing patients with a high risk of the systemic thromboembolism development.
