Lambl's excrescences (LEs) are delicate filiform strands formed by connective tissue located along the valve closure lines within the cardiovascular system. Most cases of these excrescences manifest without discernible symptoms, and the exact etiological factors contributing to their formation remain unknown. These excrescences may embolize to the brain, causing strokes. It is essential that all other possible causes of stroke be eliminated prior to identifying Lambl's excrescences as the cause of the stroke. Herein, we present a case of a patient who suffered a stroke, and all conventional testing for common causes of embolic strokes was ruled out. In pursuit of a comprehensive evaluation encompassing the classification of the stroke as cryptogenic, a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) was performed, which effectively disclosed the existence of LEs situated on the aortic valve leaflets. The patient was treated with anticoagulation and discharged with close follow-up monitoring. To culminate, the inclusion of this case within our study augments the currently scarce pool of instances that exhibit such characteristic cardioembolic phenomena, thereby accentuating the necessity for additional prospective investigations to substantiate the existence of a causative association linking LEs and cardioembolic strokes.
Keywords: aortic valve; covid-19; embolic stroke; lambl's excrescence; stroke.
Copyright © 2023, Hakobyan et al.