Cryptogenic Stroke and Patent Foramen Ovale Risk Assessment

Abstract

Stroke is a devastating condition. It is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, and a leading cause of serious long-term disability. Stroke occurs at any age. Younger patients tend to have strokes of undetermined cause, termed cryptogenic. Herein, the authors describe the classification of stroke cause; the risk of recurrent cryptogenic stroke with patent foramen ovale (PFO); a risk assessment model to stratify incidental versus a pathogenic PFO in patients presenting with stroke; and patient selection for device occluder therapy in the context of the long-term follow-up of the RESPECT randomized clinical trial.

Keywords: Cryptogenic stroke; Embolic stroke of undetermined source; Patent foramen ovale (PFO); Recurrent embolic stroke; Risk of paradoxic embolism (RoPE) score; Secondary stroke prevention; Selecting patients for PFO closure; Stroke in young adults.