Atrial fibrillation and cryptogenic stroke. What is the current evidence? Role of electrocardiographic monitoring.

The diagnosis of cryptogenic stroke is made by exclusion. However, current evidence supports the role of atrial fibrillation episodes as a cause of this condition. Prospective data have demonstrated the benefits of long-term electrocardiographic monitoring to identify atrial fibrillation in association with cryptogenic stroke. This aim of this article was to analyze the contemporary evidence for the possible relationship between atrial fibrillation and cryptogenic stroke and the role of continuous electrocardiographic monitoring to clarify this hypothesis.