Unusual Cerebral Emboli

Nader Zakhari; Mauricio Castillo; Carlos Torres

doi:10.1016/j.nic.2015.09.013

Unusual Cerebral Emboli

Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2016 Feb;26(1):147-63. doi: 10.1016/j.nic.2015.09.013. Epub 2015 Oct 17.

Authors

Nader Zakhari¹, Mauricio Castillo², Carlos Torres³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital, 1053 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4E9, Canada.
² Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, Room 3326 Old Infirmary Building, Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7510, USA.
³ Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, 1053 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4E9, Canada. Electronic address: catorres@toh.on.ca.

PMID: 26610666
DOI: 10.1016/j.nic.2015.09.013

Abstract

The heart and the carotid arteries are the most common sites of origin of embolic disease to the brain. Clots arising from these locations are the most common types of brain emboli. Less common cerebral emboli include air, fat, calcium, infected vegetations, and tumor cells as well as emboli originating in the venous system. Although infarcts can be the final result of any type of embolism, described herein are the ancillary and sometimes unique imaging features of less common types of cerebral emboli that may allow for a specific diagnosis to be made or at least suspected in many patients.

Keywords: Air embolism; Cerebral embolism; Fat embolism; Myxoma; Paradoxic embolism; Septic emboli.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Carotid Stenosis / complications*
Carotid Stenosis / diagnosis*
Cerebral Angiography / methods*
Diagnosis, Differential
Humans
Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods
Intracranial Embolism / diagnosis*
Intracranial Embolism / etiology*
Magnetic Resonance Angiography / methods*
Reproducibility of Results
Sensitivity and Specificity