Abstract TP94: Optimizing The Utilization Of Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography Among Patients With Ischemic Stroke

Background: The current AHA guidelines recommend (class IIb) advanced cardiac imaging in embolic stroke of unknown source (ESUS). We aim to better characterize the role of cardiac CTA (cCTA) in the evaluation of stroke patients. Method: A retrospective review of stroke patients at a comprehensive stroke center, who had cCTA between 12/2016 and 11/2020 was conducted using institutional registries. Ischemic stroke patients with ESUS, cryptogenic (with ESUS as a competing etiology) and cardio-embolic etiologies were included. Only cardioembolic etiologies in which a suspicion of intracardiac thrombus with either a known diagnosis of atrial fibrillation or presence of LVAD were included. Cases with TIA, large vessel disease, small vessel disease, dissection or hemodynamic etiologies were excluded. TTE and cCTA results from all cases were reviewed for remarkable findings, most notably intracardiac thrombus, and analyzed if a change in anti-thrombotic therapy was directly attributable to cCTA results. Results: As per our criteria, 96 cases (Female 42.7%, Black 37.5%, Age mean: 63.7 years) were included, of whom 45 (46.9%) were ESUS, 21 (21.9%) were cryptogenic, and 30 (31.2%) were cardioembolic. cCTA revealed intracardiac thrombus in 5 (5.2%) cases, all with LA thrombus. Of these, 3 (60%) had escalation of anti-thrombotic therapy. Interestingly, in one patient who had both cMRI and cCTA imaging, the cMRI revealed an apical LV thrombus which was not detected on cCTA. Conclusion: In this retrospective analysis of 96 select stroke cases, escalation of anti-thrombotic therapy from anti-platelets to full dose anti-coagulation was indicated in 3 patients (3.1%) with addition of cCTA. Compared to a similar cohort of patients from the same institutional registry using cMRI as the advanced cardiac imaging modality, cCTA did not reveal any LV thrombi and even missed a case of LV thrombus seen on cMRI suggesting lower sensitivity for cCTA to detect LV thrombus. Further analysis of data is in process to determine the subset of stroke patients who would benefit the most from cCTA.