BACKGROUND: Differential diagnosis of elevated high sensitive Troponin T (hsTnT) in acute ischemic stroke includes myocardial infarction (MI) and neurogenic stunned myocardium (NSM). The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with baseline hsTnT levels and MI or NSM in acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: We studied 204 consecutive patients of the prospective acquired Bern Stroke Database with acute ischemic stroke diagnosed by brain MR. All patient histories and cardiac examinations were reviewed retrospectively. Volumetry of lesions on diffusion and perfusion weighted brain imaging (circular singular value decomposition, Tmax >6sec) was performed. Voxel based analysis was performed to identify brain areas associated with hsTnT elevation. Linear regression analysis was used to identify predictors of baseline hsTnT levels and myocardial infarction. RESULTS: Elevated hsTnT was observed in 58 of the 204 patients (28.4). The mean age was 68.3 years in the normal hsTnT group and 69.7 years in the elevated hsTnT group. Creatinine (p<0.001, OR 6.735, 95 CI 58.734-107.423), baseline NIHSS score (p = 0.029, OR 2.207, 95 CI 0.675-12.096), ST segment depression (p = 0.025, OR 2.259, 95 CI 2.419-35.838), and negative T waves in baseline ECG (p = 0.002, OR 3.209, 95 CI 13.007-54.564) were associated with hsTnT elevation, while infarct location and size were not. Coronary angiography was performed in 30 of the 204 patients (14.7) and myocardial infarction was diagnosed in 7 of them (23.3). Predictive factors for myocardial infarction could not be identified. CONCLUSION: Elevated baseline baseline hsTnT was associated with NIHSS, creatinine, ST segment depression and inverted T waves, but not with stroke location or size. None of the factors was helpful to differentiate MI and NSM. Therefore, ancillary investigations such as coronary angiography, cardiac MRI or both may be needed to solve the differential diagnosis.
