Fig. 3

Overview of four groups of stroke etiology in this study according to the TOAST criteria. First row: group differences in clot composition, including the three main clot components RBC, WBC, and F/P, are shown in box plots and ranged according to the four TOAST groups included in this study, arterioembolic (TOAST-1), cardioembolic (TOAST-2), other determined cause (TOAST-4), and cryptogenic (TOAST-5) strokes. Second and third rows: a representative thrombus slice with hematoxylin and eosin staining for each TOAST group and magnification of the black squares below. With hematoxylin and eosin staining, RBC are presented in red, F/P are stained pink, and WBC are presented as little blue cells with nuclei. Fourth row: Graphical representation of histological clot composition including RBC, WBC, and F/P of each of the 70 thrombi included in this study ranged according to the TOAST group. F/P, Fibrin/platelets; RBC, Red blood cells; TOAST, Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment; WBC, White blood cells