Radiological Portrait of Embolic Strokes.

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. In 2010, the cost of stroke to the health care system in the United States was estimated to be $71.55 billion, and it is projected to double over the next 20 years. Cardioembolism is a leading pathophysiologic cause of stroke. Along with a careful review of the presenting history and clinical symptomatology, early radiographic studies including computed tomography (CT) and MRI, may demonstrate certain characteristics that may be suggestive of a cardioembolic origin to a stroke of concern.