Background: About 40% of the mechanism of ischaemic stroke in young adults remains unclear. A paradoxical embolism associated with persistence of a patent foramen ovale and/or the presence of an atrial septal anevrysm are significantly more frequent in patients examined for ischaemic stroke of unknown cause than in control subjects.
Aim: was to evaluate the contribution of trans-oesophageal echocardiography to the diagnosis of abnormalities of the interatrial septum and to identify the role played by this condition in unexplained ischemic stroke.
Methods: In 30 consecutive patients, trans-oesophageal echocardiography recording were made during a saline contrast study.
Results: Abnormalities of the interatrial septum was diagnosed in 23.3% cases. The proportion of patent foramen ovale was 10% (3 patients); atrial septal anevrysm was detected in 6.6%(2 patients). The prevalence of patent foramen ovale associated with atrial septal anevrysm was 6.6% (2 patients).
Conclusion: Transesophageal echocardiography with contrast appears to be an effective exam in diagnosis of abnomalities of the interatrial septum and our study was suggestive of their embolic nature.