Detection of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in stroke/tia patients.

One-third of stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) are cryptogenic, and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) has been suggested as a possible cause for these cryptogenic strokes. Multiple studies have recently evaluated long-term cardiac rhythm monitoring with good yield for PAF. The duration of monitoring varies between studies as well as the qualifying event definition. Moreover, the clinical significance of very brief atrial fibrillation events is unclear in the literature. This paper provides an overview of current advances in the detection of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, the clinical and genetic factors predictive of arrhythmia detection, and the therapeutic dilemma concerning this approach.