Fifty consecutive patients of cerebral infarction underwent a detailed evaluation for the presence of cardiac disease, by means of a standard questionnaire, clinical examination, a 12 lead electrocardiogram, and a 2-D echo and colour Doppler examination. Only 9 patients had a normal echocardiogram, while as many as 27 (54%) demonstrated potential cardio-embolic abnormalities. Clinical and ECG evidence of pre-existent cardiac disease had been demonstrable in only 13 (26%) patients.