@article{2997793,
    title = "Incidence, characteristics and outcomes in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source: A population-based study",
    author = "Tsivgoulis, G. and Kargiotis, O. and Katsanos, A.H. and Patousi, A. and Mavridis, D. and Tsokani, S. and Pikilidou, M. and Birbilis, T. and Mantatzis, M. and Zompola, C. and Triantafyllou, S. and Papanas, N. and Skendros, P. and Terzoudi, A. and Georgiadis, G.S. and Maltezos, E. and Piperidou, C. and Tsioufis, K. and Heliopoulos, I. and Vadikolias, K.",
    journal = "Journal of the Neurological Sciences",
    year = "2019",
    volume = "401",
    pages = "5-11",
    publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",
    issn = "0022-510X",
    doi = "10.1016/j.jns.2019.04.008",
    keywords = "adult;  aged;  Article;  brain ischemia;  cardiovascular disease;  diastolic blood pressure;  disease severity;  embolic stroke of undetermined sour;  female;  follow up;  human;  hypertension;  incidence;  major clinical study;  male;  mortality;  National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale;  priority journal;  Rankin scale;  recurrent disease;  risk factor;  atrial fibrillation;  cerebrovascular accident;  cohort analysis;  embolism;  Greece;  health survey;  middle aged;  procedures;  register;  treatment outcome;  very elderly, Aged;  Aged, 80 and over;  Atrial Fibrillation;  Cohort Studies;  Embolism;  Female;  Follow-Up Studies;  Greece;  Humans;  Incidence;  Male;  Middle Aged;  Population Surveillance;  Registries;  Stroke;  Treatment Outcome",
    abstract = "Embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) represents a subgroup of cryptogenic ischemic stroke (CS) distinguished by high probability of an underlying embolic mechanism. There are scarce population-based data regarding the incidence, characteristics and outcomes of ESUS. Consecutive patients included with first-ever ischemic stroke of undetermined cause in the previously published population-based Evros Stroke Registry were further subdivided into ESUS and non-ESUS CS. Crude and adjusted [according to the European Standard Population (ESP), WHO and Segi population] incidence rates (IR) for ESUS and non-ESUS CS were calculated. Baseline characteristics, admission stroke severity (assessed using NIHSS-score), stroke recurrence and functional outcomes [determined by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores], were recorded during the 1-year follow-up period. We identified 21 and 242 cases with ESUS (8% of CS) and non-ESUS CS. The crude and ESP-adjusted IR for ESUS were 17.5 (95%CI: 10–25) and 16.6 (95%CI: 10–24) per 100,000 person-years. Patients with ESUS were younger (p <.001) and had lower median admission NIHSS-scores (p <.001). Functional outcomes were more favorable in ESUS at 28, 90 and 365 days. ESUS was independently (p =.033) associated with lower admission NIHSS-scores (unstandardized linear regression coefficient: -13.34;95%CI: -23.34, −3.35) on multiple linear regression models. ESUS was not related to 1-year stroke recurrence, mortality and functional improvement on multivariable analyses. In conclusion we found that ESUS cases represented 8% of CS patients in this population-based study. Despite the fact that ESUS was independently related to lower admission stroke severity, there was no association of ESUS with long-term outcomes. © 2019"
}