Cardiac Ultrasound in Stroke Investigation

Cardiac sources of stroke may account for 20–30% of the near 800,000 strokes that occur annually in the United States. Conventional transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) remains the cornerstone of noninvasive cardiac imaging for this disorder, although moderately invasive transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is superior for the identification of most cardiac sources of emboli. Clinical paradigms in the use of TTE and TEE continue to evolve, with Appropriate Use Criteria classifying their use as appropriate . In addition, newer imaging methods, such as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may also have an important role in identifying cardiogenic sources of embolism . The clinical integration of these newer imaging methods on treatment and prognosis remains to be defined.