The pathology of the thrombi obtained by endovascular thrombectomy were useful for diagnosis of two cases of cardiogenic cerebral embolism due to infective endocarditis and nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis

Abstract

Patient 1 was a 55-year-old male with cerebral infarction due to obstruction of the left middle cerebral artery during treatment for bacteremia, along with a verruca of infectious endocarditis harvested from endovascular thrombectomy. Patient 2 was a 59-year-old female suffering from cerebral infarction at the terminal branch during intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma chemotherapy who thereafter developed cerebral infarction again due to obstruction of the left middle cerebral artery, along with a verruca of nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) harvested from endovascular thrombectomy. In tumor-bearing patients, while NBTE may be more closely related to the development of cerebral infarctions than previously assumed, we also need pay attention to the onset of infectious endocarditis. We need further studies on the effectiveness and safety of thrombolysis therapy and endovascular thrombectomy for cerebral infarctions due to endocarditis in both patients. The harvested emboli may provide clues to the differentiation thereof.