ESOC 2022 | Diagnostic value of covert brain infarction in ischemic stroke

Thomas Meinel, MD, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland, discusses the presence of covert brain infractions (CBIs) in patients with acute ischemic stroke and their diagnostic value. A recent cohort study demonstrated that CBIs were present in more than 1/3rd of patients with first ever ischemic stroke, with most common phenotypes including lacunes, combined gray and white matter lesions, and subcortical infarcts. The presence of any CBI was shown to be associated with a vascular high-risk profile. Patients with atrial fibrillation were shown to have more cortical lesions, suggesting prior brain ischemia could help in discriminating ischemic stroke etiologies. This interview took place at the ESOC 2022 congress in Lyon, France.