Calcified cerebral emboli—A case series

Calcified Cerebral Emboli (CCE) was first reported in 1981 and is an increasingly common yet under-reported cause of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We present 2 rare cases of acute ischemic stroke due to calcified cerebral emboli. Calcified cerebral emboli are identified on CT scan of the brain with a follow-up MRI to show area of ischemia. Initially thought to be caused due to cardiac and/or endovascular procedures, prior research has found it can occur spontaneously as well. Treatment involves standard medical treatment for stroke, however neurosurgical procedures such as thrombectomy can be considered. We present this case series for clinicians to be aware of what is an increasingly common cause of acute ischemic stroke, especially in high-risk patients. We also applied the diagnostic criteria as proposed by Menounos et al.