The authors investigated potential cardiac diseases as a source of cerebral thrombembolism in a group of patients with acute cerebral ischaemia. In their echolaboratory, using the method of echocardiography, 468 patients were investigated during five-years’ period. Each patient was examined by transthoracic echocardiography. In the cases with the possibility to administer anticoagulant therapy and without any contraindications, transesophageal echocardiography was indicated, which was performed successfully in 271 patients. Cardiac diseases as a potential source of cerebral thrombembolism were found in 46 patients (17 %). The most common diagnoses involved were non-valvular atrial fibrillation (47.8 %) and a thrombus in the left atrium appendage (69 %). The objective of their investigation is to emphasize that the problem of vascular cerebral diseases is an interdisciplinary issue. The echocardiographic method highly contributes to the vascular diseases diagnosing and underlines the necessity of close cooperation between cardiologist and neurologist.

        Key words: cerebral ischaemia, cardiac diseases, echocardiography