ArticleEuropean stroke journal2026
Frequency and management of non-cardiac incidental findings on cardiac CT in patients with a suspected stroke.
Article in European stroke journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
introductionCardiac CT is increasingly used to screen for cardioembolism in stroke patients. We assessed the frequency and management of non-cardiac incidental findings on prospective ECG-gated cardiac CT in patients with a suspected stroke. PATIENTS AND
methodsThis was a post-hoc analysis of the Mind the Heart study, a prospective single-centre cohort study including consecutive adult patients with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS), transient ischaemic attack (TIA), or a stroke mimic who underwent cardiac CT as part of an acute stroke imaging protocol. Endpoints were pre-defined non-cardiac incidental findings that were detected on cardiac CT: pulmonary embolism (PE), potential malignant lesions, pulmonary consolidations or ground-glass densities, bone fractures, lymphadenopathy, focal liver lesions, and ascending aortic or pulmonary artery dilatation. Change of management was defined as additional treatment or follow-up.
resultsWe included 654 patients (57% men, median age 71 [IQR 59-80] years) of whom 451 (69%) had AIS, 48 had TIA (7%), and 155 had a stroke mimic (24%). Overall, 58 non-cardiac incidental findings were found in 55 (8%; 95%CI, 6-11) patients. The most frequent incidental findings were consolidations or ground-glass densities (n = 17, 3%), liver cysts or non-specific hypodensities (n = 14, 2%), pulmonary nodules or masses (n = 9, 1%), and PEs (n = 8, 1%). Incidental findings led to a change of management in 17/55 (31%) patients of whom 13/55 (24%) had additional follow-up and 9/55 (16%) received treatment (anticoagulation n = 8, chemotherapy n = 1). DISCUSSION &
conclusionNon-cardiac incidental findings were observed on cardiac CT in 8% of patients with a suspected stroke. These findings changed management in 31% of these patients.
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