Between 20 and 30% of ischemic strokes are cryptogenic. A strong association between cryptogenic strokes and the presence of patent foramen ovale (PFO) suggests that paradoxical embolism through a PFO may be one important cause of otherwise unexplained infarcts. Percutaneous devices for closure of a PFO have been studied to assess their effectiveness in preventing a recurrence of stroke after cryptogenic stroke, with more recently developed devices showing superiority over earlier technology. Three randomized trials individually did not show a significantly lower risk of recurrent stroke with PFO closure than with medical therapy alone. However, in a pooled individual-patient meta-analysis and a study-level network meta-analysis of randomized trials, closure of the PFO with the Amplatzer PFO Occluder was found to result in a lower risk of recurrence of ischemic stroke than medical therapy.
ENCORE PFO CLOSURE DEVICE FDA TRIAL IS UNDERWAY. CONTACT US FOR DETAILS
