Assessment of left atrial function using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in cryptogenic stroke patients

Background Cryptogenic cerebrovascular stroke can be defined as an ischemic stroke that lacks a clear cause, even after a thorough evaluation. It should be distinguished from the embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS), a subgroup that includes cardio-embolic sources. This study aims to assess left atrial function through two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) to determine its potential association with cryptogenic stroke and its predictive value for subclinical atrial fibrillation (AF). Our prospective cohort study involved 62 patients with unexplained cerebrovascular stroke or TIA, regardless of gender. Following TEE assessments, 22 patients were excluded due to identified sources of cardio-embolism. The remaining 40 participants were clustered into Group I. Group II, consisted of 40 healthy individuals without significant medical history, served as a control group. Both groups underwent two-dimensional trans-thoracic echocardiography and speckle tracking echocardiography. Results LA dysfunction parameters exhibited significant differences between Group I and Group II. LV diastolic dysfunction, LAVI, LAEF, and LASr were notably affected in Group I. At the same time, LA diameter in the parasternal long-axis view (PLAX) displayed a significant difference with a p value of 0.001. Within Group I, 14 patients experienced AF episodes (Group Ia, 35%); while, the remaining 26 were categorized as Group Ib (65%). LV diastolic dysfunction displayed a p value < 0.011; while, LAVI, LAEF, and LASr exhibited considerable differences with p values < 0.0001. However, the LA diameter showed no significant variation between the two groups. LASr emerged as the most sensitive and specific parameter for predicting AF, with a cutoff point of <= 24.5% and a p value < 0.0001. LAEF showed a cutoff point of <= 40.5% and a p value of 0.011. Meanwhile, LAVI demonstrated the lowest sensitivity and specificity, with a mean cutoff point of >= 38.5 ml/m2 and a p value of 0.003. Conclusions 2D-STE is crucial for assessing LA dysfunction as a potential cryptogenic stroke cause after TEE and ruling out cardio-embolism sources. LASr serves as a key LA cardiopathy indicator, even preceding AF. LASr independently poses an AF risk. While LAEF and LAVI are significant LA dysfunction parameters and AF predictors, they exhibit lower sensitivity and specificity than LASr.