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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Closure of a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO): An Intervention Sequence
Published on: December 23, 2022
Patent foramen ovale and cryptogenic stroke: a complex neuro-cardio-vascular problem
1The Queen's Medical Center, Queen's Heart Physician Practice, 550 S Beretania Street, Suite 300, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA. cspies@queens.org
Abstract:
Patent foramen ovale has been suggested to be a risk factor for cryptogenic stroke by means of paradoxical embolism. The data, however, are complex, conflicting and largely unavailable. In this review, we attempt to summarize the existing data separately for the questions of whether patent foramen ovale is associated with cryptogenic stroke and whether it is a risk factor for a first ischemic stroke and for recurrent strokes. Treatment options will be discussed, and the different viewpoints from the two specialists mainly involved in the care of those complex patients (neurologists and cardiologists) will be provided.
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