Reexamination of the Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source Concept

Occult atrial fibrillation (AF) is a leading cause of stroke of unclear cause. The optimal approach to secondary stroke prevention for these patients remains elusive. The term embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) was coined to describe ischemic strokes in which the radiographic features demonstrate territorial infarcts resembling those seen in patients with confirmed sources of embolism but without a clear source of embolism detected. It...