Patent foramen ovale: to close or not to close – still the question

Patent foramen ovale and stroke prevention -- to close or not to close: a teachable moment.

Story From the Front Lines A 65-year-old man with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension was seen in clinic for hospital follow-up. He had previously been admitted to the hospital with slurred speech and aphasia and diagnosed as having a left middle cerebral artery ischemic infarct. Tissue plasminogen activator was administered with a positive neuro...

Is closure recommended for patent foramen ovale and cryptogenic stroke? Patent foramen ovale and cryptogenic stroke: to close or not to close? Closure: what else!

A 39-year-old mother of 2 teenage boys complained of severe migraine with aura for 10 years. Otherwise healthy, she suffered an ischemic stroke that rendered her permanently aphasic. Diagnostic evaluation revealed no evidence of atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries or plaques of the ascending aorta and the aortic arch. The ECG showed normal sinus rhythm, and the patient denied any history of...

Is closure recommended for patent foramen ovale and cryptogenic stroke? Patent foramen ovale in cryptogenic stroke: not to close.

A quick PubMed search reveals an abundance of editorials, reviews, and opinion pieces on the subject of patent foramen ovale (PFO) management, and this is now the fourth published article on this topic that has adapted William Shakespeare’s classic words from Hamlet to describe the conundrum that faces neurologists, cardiologists, and their patients.1–3 The degree to which this title has been o...

Should percutaneous devices be used to close a patent foramen ovale after cerebral infarction or TIA?

Patent foram An endovascular device to close a patent foramen ovale : b

An endovascular device to close a patent foramen ovale: b