BACKGROUND Atrial septal aneurysm has been considered a potential source of cardiogenic embolism for many years. The present study evaluated the prevalence and characteristics of atrial septal aneurysm in a patient population with stroke and normal carotid arteries compared to a control population without stroke. METHODS A total of 606 patients were enrolled between November 1990 and December...

The patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a normal interatrial communication during fetal life that persists after birth in approximately 1 of every 4 adults. PFO is a potential route for embolic transit from the systemic venous circulation to the brain. Though there is compelling circumstantial evidence implicating PFO, the precise role of PFO in the pathogenesis of cryptogenic stroke is not yet estab...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Paradoxical embolization is frequently posited as a mechanism of ischemic stroke in patients with patent foramen ovale. Several studies have suggested that the deep lower extremity and pelvic veins might be an embolic source in cryptogenic stroke (CS) patients with patent foramen ovale. METHODS Consecutive adult patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack...

BACKGROUND This randomized clinical trial compared rates of stroke or transient ischemic attack recurrence or death in patients with cryptogenic stroke and patent foramen ovale (PFO) who received medical treatment with aspirin or warfarin. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-four Iranian patients with cryptogenic stroke and patent foramen ovale participated in this randomized, single-blind trial betw...

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is not uncommondit appears in perhaps 10% to 25% of the populationdbut only a small percent of cases will produce any clinical sequelae, such as refractory hypoxia, orthodeoxia-platypnea syndrome, or migraine headaches. PFO is most notorious, however, for its association with paradoxical embolus and cryptogenic stroke (1). Conclusive proof of a causal relationship bet...

Extended 5-Year Follow-up of the PFO Closure Trial In initial report Gore REDUCE trial patent foramen ovale closure, with a median follow-up 3.2 years, 18 patients had stroke recur...

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a common developmental anomaly that allows for the passage of blood and other substances from the venous to the arterial circulation. The study of PFO closure has been challenging due to widely available off-label closures performed outside the clinical trial setting. To date, no study has demonstrated benefit of closure using intention-to-treat analyses. Secondary...