Stroke secondary to cardiogenic embolism

Injury Disease Nutrition Poison Symptoms Surgery Test Special Topic

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Central nervous system Stroke

Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention

Stroke secondary to cardiogenic embolism

• Weakness or total inability to move a body part
• Numbness or loss of sensation
• Tingling or other abnormal sensations
• Decreased or lost vision, may be partial, may be temporary
• Language difficulties
• Inability to recognize or identify sensory stimuli
• Loss of memory
• Vertigo (abnormal sensation of movement)
• Loss of coordination
• Swallowing difficulties
• Personality changes
• Mood and emotion changes
• Urinary incontinence (lack of control over bladder)
• Lack of control over the bowels
• Consciousness changes:
  • Sleepy
  • Stuporous, somnolent, lethargic
  • Comatose, unconscious

The examination will determine the specific deficits present, which often correspond closely to the location of the injury in the brain. The examination may show the following:

• changes in vision or visual fields
• clots in the retina of the eye
• changes in reflexes including abnormal reflexes or abnormal extent of "normal" reflexes
• abnormal eye movements
• muscle weakness
• decreased sensation

The pulse may be irregular. Abnormal sounds may be heard by listening to the heart with a stethoscope. There may be signs of emboli (splinter hemorrhages).

Tests include:

• Head CT scan
• MRI of head, MRA of the head
• ECG showing arrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation
• Echocardiogram to determine other heart disorders
• Transcranial doppler (ultrasound of the head)

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