Assessment of left atrial function using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in cryptogenic stroke patients.

Background: Cryptogenic cerebrovascular stroke can be defined as an ischemic stroke that lacks a clear cause, even after a thorough evaluation. It should be distinguished from the embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS), a subgroup that includes cardio-embolic sources. This study aims to assess left atrial function through two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) to determine its potential association with cryptogenic stroke and its predictive value for subclinical atrial fibrillation (AF).