Echocardiography plays an important role both in the diagnosis and the treatment/prevention of embolic stroke of undetermined source and should be performed as soon as possible for preventing ischemic stroke recurrencies, which occur more frequently during the first week after the first ischemic event. Early identification of the cause of a transient ischemic attack or stroke is indeed a primary goal for the neurologist in the Stroke Unit and requires specific diagnostic strategies. Echocardiography, together with other diagnostic tools such as carotid and transcranial ultrasounds, provides this information promptly. In particular, echocardiography might be able to detect the main sources of the embolic stroke, such as atrial fibrillation, ventricular akinesia, aortic atheroma plaques and/or cardiac shunts. The present review discusses the importance and the practical role of echocardiography as a crucial diagnostic tool for detecting the main source of emboli in the setting of the acute stroke.

超声心动图在不确定来源的栓塞性中风的诊断和治疗/预防中均起着重要作用，应尽早进行以防止缺血性中风复发，缺血性中风复发在第一次缺血性事件后的第一周内更为频繁。早期识别短暂性脑缺血发作或中风的原因确实是中风科神经病学家的主要目标，并且需要特定的诊断策略。超声心动图以及其他诊断工具（如颈动脉和经颅超声检查）可迅速提供此信息。特别是，超声心动图可能能够检测出栓塞性中风的主要来源，例如心房颤动，心室运动障碍，主动脉粥样斑块和/或心脏分流。本综述讨论了超声心动图作为一种重要的诊断工具，用于检测急性卒中中血栓的主要来源的重要性和实际作用。