Cardiac disorders predisposing to development of cerebrovascular diseases in the Japanese. Data obtained at autopsy.

For a clear definition of the influence of cardiac disorders on the development of cerebrovascular diseases in the Japanese, we reviewed 1,162 consecutive autopsy records aged 20 years and over in the Department of Pathology, Kyushu University, Japan. All autopsies had been done between Nov. 1971 and Oct. 1981. Cerebral infarction was found in 101 out of 196 with any type of cardiac disorder. Frequencies of cerebral infarction in those with myocardial infarction, rheumatic heart disease, non-bacterial thromboendocarditis, and atrial fibrillation were higher than in those with no heart disease. These differences can be ascribed to the higher incidence of large and medium-sized cerebral infarction, including many cases of cerebral embolism originating from the heart. Only 3.4% of those with small cerebral infarction were assessed to be cases of embolism. Non-embolic cerebral infarction was more frequently noted in those with myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation than in those with no heart disease. These differences were probably linked to concomitant progression of arteriosclerosis of the cerebral and coronary arteries. In this consecutive autopsy study, cerebral embolism was found in 35 cases, 10.9% of the total number of those with cerebral infarction.