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Patent foramen ovale in young stroke patients with mitral valve prolapse
G Besson1, J Bogousslavsky, M Hommel
1Department of Neurology, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Insights
Patent foramen ovale is common in young stroke patients with mitral valve prolapse. This study found a high co-occurrence, suggesting a link between these conditions and stroke risk in younger individuals.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Vascular Medicine
Background:
- Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) are suspected risk factors for stroke in young adults.
- Echocardiography is a key diagnostic tool for identifying these cardiac abnormalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of PFO in young stroke patients with diagnosed MVP.
- To investigate the association between MVP and PFO in this patient cohort.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 18 patients under 45 years old with stroke and MVP.
- Follow-up echocardiography (transthoracic and/or transesophageal) conducted 3-7 years post-stroke.
- Assessment of PFO and MVP presence based on echocardiographic findings.
Main Results:
- Patent foramen ovale (PFO) was detected in 9 out of 18 patients (50%) initially diagnosed with stroke and MVP.
- Of the 11 patients reassessed, 6 (43%) had both MVP and PFO.
- MVP was not identified in 4 reassessed patients based on current criteria.
Conclusions:
- Mitral valve prolapse is frequently associated with patent foramen ovale in young patients experiencing stroke.
- The co-existence of MVP and PFO may represent a significant risk factor for cerebrovascular events in younger populations.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the causal relationship and management strategies.
Abstract:
Because mitral valve prolapse and patent foramen ovale are supposed to promote stroke in young patients, we assessed the frequency of patent foramen ovale in 18 patients younger than 45 years with stroke and mitral valve prolapse diagnosed on echocardiography at the time of stroke, who were admitted to 2 university hospitals. Eleven patients were called back to hospital for contrast transthoracic and/or transesophageal echocardiography, 3 to 7 years after their initial stroke. A patient foramen ovale was found in 9 patients (50%). In 4 re-assessed patients no mitral valve prolapse was found using our present criteria. Six patients with mitral valve prolapse had a patent foramen ovale (43%). Our results suggest that mitral valve prolapse is commonly associated with patent foramen ovale in young stroke patients.