Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Cryptogenic stroke in low-risk patients, consider a cardiac shunt at your peril
Laura Parry1, Saad Aldeen Saeed, Rumi Jaumdally
1Department of Acute Medicine, Walsall Health Care NHS Trust, Walsall, UK.
Abstract:
Patent foramen ovale (PFO) as a cause of cryptogenic stroke from paradoxical embolisation remains a controversial issue. The optimal care between medical and surgical management of these patients for the attending clinician remains a conundrum. We report a case of cryptogenic stroke in a woman aged 59, with a PFO, concomitant venous thrombosis and cryptogenic stroke. The case highlights the difficulty in diagnosing and managing such patients, particularly as recent evidence challenges the clinical practice of percutaneous closure and pathophysiological rationale.
Related Concept Videos
Ischemic Stroke l: Introduction
Transient Ischemic Attack l: Introduction
Ischemic Stroke ll: Pathophysiology
Stroke: Introduction and Types
Hemorrhagic Stroke l: Introduction
Hemorrhagic Stroke ll: Pathophysiology
