2018 Volume 40 Issue 2 Pages 100-104
Cryptogenic stroke is not uncommon, and there is etiological heterogeneity of cryptogenic stroke regarding the underlying embolic source. So far, several potential embolic sources demonstrated on transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) including patent foramen ovale (PFO), and aortic arch plaques (AAPs) have been associated with the pathogenesis of cryptogenic stroke. Embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) has been recently proposed as a new clinical entity with specific diagnostic criteria. In ESUS, diagnostic modalities to investigate cardioembolic etiologies involved 12-lead electrocardiogram, cardiac monitoring for ≥ 24 h, and transthoracic echocardiography. TEE has not been required for the diagnosis of ESUS. Therefore, embolic mechanisms caused by PFO or AAPs could be implicated in the pathogenesis of ESUS. To date, factors related to recurrent vascular events in ESUS have been unknown. In the present study, we investigated the factors, including clinical characteristics and potential embolic sources on TEE related to recurrent vascular events in ESUS patients who were undergoing TEE.
