Transcatheter Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale: Randomized Trial Update

A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is found in about one-quarter of all adults, but the prevalence increases to approximately half of those with a history of a so-called cryptogenic stroke. The true efficacy of PFO closure for prevention of recurrent paradoxical embolism has been debated for years, as the early 3 randomized trials did not show a statistically significant benefit of PFO closure over standard-of-care medical therapy. However, 3 recent randomized trials along with the long-term follow-up data from the largest early trial demonstrated superiority of device closure for secondary stroke prevention.