Ultrasound Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ultrasound, including details on screening, diagnosis, pregnancy, detection.

Serial contrast saline transcranial Doppler examination in a patient with paradoxical brain embolism associated with pulmonary embolism.

Shibazaki K, Iguchi Y, Inoue T, Ueno Y, Kimura K

Department of Stroke Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki City, Okayama 701 0192, Japan. shibaken@kawasaki-m.ac.jp

We report a patient with paradoxical brain embolism due to patent foramen ovale (PFO) associated with pulmonary embolism (PE). The number of microembolic signals, as detected by contrast saline transcranial Doppler (c-TCD) exam, drastically decreased with improvement of increased right atrial pressure due to PE. In a patient with paradoxical brain embolism associated with PE, c-TCD may be useful for both diagnosis of the presence of right-to-left shunting and evaluation of cardio-pulmonary circulation.

Published 19 June 2007 in J Clin Neurosci, 14(8): 788-91.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Ultrasound Research Today. All Rights Reserved.