The clinical significance of plasma D-dimer levels in cryptogenic stroke with occult systemic malignancy patients / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of cryptogenic stroke as the first manifestation of occult systemic malignancy (OSM) and to determine whether plasma D-dimer levels and lesions in multiple vascular regions could predict occult systemic malignancy in patients with cryptogenic stroke. Methods Data from 83 patients including 9 patients with OSM and 74 patients without OSM were extracted from the stroke database of Beijing Shijitan Hospital. Clinical variables were analyzed between cryptogenic stroke patients with OSM and without OSM. The relationshiop between plasma D-dimer levels or lesions in multiple vascular regions and OSM were analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results Compare to patients without OSM, patients with OSM was older (66.8± 7.5 vs.56.4±15.7,P=0.004)and had lower hemoglobin levels (127.9±19.8 vs.143.6±17.7,P=0.015),higher conut score [3(1,3) vs. 1(0,2), P=0.011], higher plasma D-dimer levels (77.7% vs. 13.5%, P<0.001) and more common lesions in multiple vascular regions(100% vs.23.0%, P<0.001).Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that high plasma D-dimer levels are independent risk factors for OSM (OR=26.250,95%CI3.041-226.604,P=0.003).Conclusions Patients with OSM are elderly people and have poorer nutritional status, higher plasma D-dimer levels and more common lesions in multiple vascular regions. High plasma D-dimer levels can be useful to predict OSM in patients with cryptogenic stroke at earlier stages.