Skip to main content

Table 5 Baseline characteristics and Laboratory and MRI findings according to the plasma D-dimer levels in ESUS patients undergoing TEE

From: Impact of D-dimer for pathologic differentiation on transesophageal echocardiography in embolic stroke of undetermined source: a single-center experience

 

Total

D-dimer levels

Variables

 

≤ 1.0 μg/ml

>  1.0 μg/ml

P

n = 113

n = 75, 66%

n = 38, 34%

Demographics

 Age, y

66.9 ± 11.8

66.3 ± 10.5

68.0 ± 14.3

0.153

 Male gender, n (%)

87 (77)

63 (84)

24 (63)

0.013

 Hypertension, n (%)

82 (73)

57 (76)

25 (66)

0.25

 Diabetes mellitus, n (%)

52 (46)

35 (47)

17 (45)

0.846

 Dyslipidemia, n (%)

88 (78)

58 (77)

30 (79)

0.846

 Smoking, n (%)

29 (26)

21 (28)

8 (21)

0.424

 Chronic kidney disease, n (%)

29 (26)

14 (19)

15 (39)

0.017

 Coronary artery disease, n (%)

4 (4)

2 (3)

2 (5)

0.492

 Malignant tumor, n (%)

6 (5)

1 (1)

5 (13)

0.01

 History of cerebral infarction, n (%)

20 (18)

9 (12)

11 (29)

0.026

NIHSS on admission

3.9 ± 5.3

3.2 ± 4.2

5.1 ± 6.8

0.084

Laboratory findings

 LDL-C, mg/dl, a

114.7 ± 36.6

114.7 ± 36.6

114.8 ± 37.2

0.997

 HDL-C, mg/dl, a

51.6 ± 14.9

53.2 ± 15.9

48.5 ± 12.2

0.123

 eGFR, ml/min

72.1 ± 25.3

75.8 ± 21.9

64.7 ± 29.8

0.052

 Hemoglobin A1c, %

6.3 ± 1.1

6.4 ± 1.2

6.1 ± 0.8

0.353

 BNP, pg/ml, b

110.9 ± 342.7

68.8 ± 118.9

196.1 ± 567.7

0.058

MRI findings, n (%)

 Multiple lesions

66 (58)

44 (59)

22 (58)

0.937

 Lesion size > 30 mm in diameter

38 (34)

21 (28)

17 (45)

0.075

 Cortical infarction

92 (81)

61 (81)

31 (82)

0.975

 Cerebral microbleeds

18 (16)

12 (16)

6 (16)

0.977

 PVH, grade ≥ 2

32 (28)

20 (27)

12 (32)

0.584

 DSWMH, grade ≥ 2

27 (24)

17 (23)

10 (26)

0.667

Potential embolic sources on TEE, n (%)

 RLS

59 (52)

34 (45)

25 (66)

0.04

  Degree of shunt

   

0.116

  Small to Intermediate

51 (45)

30 (40)

21 (55)

 

  Large

8 (7)

4 (5)

4 (11)

 

 Comorbidity with DVT

   

0.013

  RLS without DVT

51 (45)

32 (43)

19 (50)

 

  Both RLS and DVT

8 (7)

2 (3)

6 (16)

 

 Atrial septal aneurysm

8 (7)

4 (5)

4 (11)

0.322

 Aortic arch plaques

53 (47)

35 (47)

18 (47)

0.944

 LAA dysfunction or SEC

9 (8)

6 (8)

3 (8)

0.984

  1. Chi-square test and the Mann−Whitney U test were used for comparison
  2. Chronic kidney disease was defined as eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Missing values: a, n = 2; b, n = 7
  3. MRI magnetic resonance imaging, ESUS embolic stroke of undetermined source, TEE transesophageal echocardiography, NIHSS National Institute Health stroke scale, LDL-C low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL-C high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, eGFR estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate, BNP brain natriuretic peptide, PVH Periventricular hyperintensity, DSWMH deep and subcortical white matter hyperintensity, RLS right-to-left shunt, DVT deep venous thrombosis, LAA left atrial appendage, SEC spontaneous echo contrast