Patent foramen ovale closure and medical treatments for secondary stroke prevention: a systematic review of observational and randomized evidence.

ABSTRACT:

Background and purpose

Patients discovered to have a patent foramen ovale in the setting of a cryptogenic stroke may be treated with percutaneous closure, antiplatelet therapy, or anticoagulants. A recent randomized trial (CLOSURE I) did not detect any benefit of closure over medical treatment alone; the optimal medical therapy is also unknown. We synthesized the available evidence on secondary stroke prevention in patients with patent foramen ovale and cryptogenic stroke.

Methods

A MEDLINE search was performed for finding longitudinal studies investigating medical treatment or closure, meta-analysis of incidence rates (IR), and IR ratios of recurrent cerebrovascular events.

Results

Fifty-two single-arm studies and 7 comparative nonrandomized studies and the CLOSURE I

SUBMITTER: Kitsios GD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3342835 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature