Neurologic complications of valvular heart disease

Valvular heart disease (VHD) is frequently associated with neurologic complications; cerebral embolism is the most common of these since thrombus formation results from the abnormalities in the valvular surfaces or from the anatomic and physiologic changes associated with valve dysfunction, such as atrial or ventricular enlargement, intracardiac thrombi, and cardiac dysrhythmias. Prosthetic heart valves, particularly mechanical valves, are very thrombogenic, which explains the high risk of thromboembolism and the need for anticoagulation for the prevention of embolism. Infective endocarditis is a disease process with protean manifestations that include not only cerebral embolism but also intracranial hemorrhage, mycotic aneurysms, and systemic manifestations such as fever and encephalopathy. Other neurologic complications include nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis, a process associated with systemic diseases such as cancer and systemic lupus erythematosus. For many of these conditions, anticoagulation is the mainstay of treatment to prevent cerebral embolism, therefore it is the potential complications of anticoagulation that can explain other neurologic complications in patients with VHD. The prevention and management of these complications requires an understanding of their natural history in order to balance the risks posed by valvular disease itself against the risks and benefits associated with treatment.