Presence of Heart Pouch May Explain Strokes of Unknown Origin

In case your doctor is still searching for the cause of your cryptogenic stroke.
http://dgnews.docguide.com/presence-heart-pouch-may-explain-strokes-unknown-origin?
A pouch-like structure inside the heart’s left atrial chamber in some people may explain strokes that otherwise lack an identifiable cause, according to a study published online in Frontiers in Neurology.
Mark Fisher, MD, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, California, and colleagues evaluated 75 patients who had experienced a stroke to learn whether this left atrial septal pouch could be a potent source of stroke-causing blood clots.
Of the 23 patients who had experienced a stroke of undetermined origin, 30% possessed the left atrial septal pouch. It was present in only 10% of the 52 patients who'd had a stroke with an identifiable trigger.
The researchers first discovered this pouch-like structure inside the heart's left atrial chamber in a 2010 study.
“The cul-de-sac nature of this heart pouch may promote stagnation of the blood, forming clots that can travel into the brain and cause a stroke,” said Dr. Fisher.
“This finding points to a potentially important cause of strokes,” he added. “The presence of this pouch could change how neurologists treat these patients and lead to new therapeutic strategies for preventing strokes.”
SOURCE: University of California, Irvine