What is ESUS?
ESUS stands for 'Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source' and is a subcategory of cryptogenic stroke, accounting for about 1 in 6 ischemic strokes. It is an ischemic stroke detected by CT or MRI that, after a standardized and adequate diagnostic pathway including brain imaging, echocardiography, cardiac rhythm monitoring for at least 24 h, and imaging of the intracranial and extracranial arteries supplying the affected brain area, is not lacunar (subcortical, < 15 mm diameter) and where there is absence of extracranial or intracranial atherosclerosis causing 50% luminal stenosis in the arteries supplying the area of ischemia, no major-risk cardioembolic source of embolism, and no other specific cause of stroke identified (e.g., arteritis, dissection, migraine/vasospasm).