Clinical Efficacy of Transcatheter Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale with Positive Foaming Test

Background and Aims: To explore and evaluate the clinical therapeutic effect of interventional occlusion in the treatment of patent foramen ovale (PFO) with positive foaming test in the prevention and treatment of cryptogenic stroke (CS) and to provide clinical basis for individualized treatment of CS patients with PFO. Methods: A total of 151 patients who was admitted to Beijing Anzhen Nanchong Hospital Hospital from January 2019 to June 2021 were divided into two groups: drug therapy group (n = 63) and interventional occlusion + drug therapy group (n = 88). The general clinical data of the patients were collected by retrospective study, including sex, age, body weight, right to left shunt (RLS) magnitude, the degree of migraine before treatment, and telephone follow-up of all patients after treatment. Results: There was no significant difference in general clinical data (p > 0.05). In the interventional occlusion + drug therapy group, the stroke recurrence rate within 6th month after operation was significantly lower than that in the drug therapy group, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05); The degree of migraine was lower than that in the drugs treatment group at the 3rd month after operation and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.01); The degree of migraine at the 6th month was lower than that in the drug therapy group but the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The results of comprehensive generalized analysis showed that the risk of moderate or severe headache in the interventional occlusion + drug therapy group decreased by 40% (odds ratio [OR] = 0.60, p < 0.05). The degree of migraine in female patients was statistically lower after three and six months postoperatively (p < 0.05 and p = 0.01, respectively). Combined with generalized analysis, the risk of moderate or severe migraine in female patients was reduced by 55%. There were significant differences in the migraine before operation, migraine at the 3rd month and migraine at the 6th month in patients with three different kinds RLS grades (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.05). Compared with the preoperative migraine and the migraine at the 3rd month, patients with RLS grade 3 had the most obvious migraine relief at the 6th month after operation than those with RLS grade 2. Conclusion: Compared with the drug therapy, interventional occlusion + drug therapy can reduce the risk of CS recurrence, improve the prognosis and significantly reduce the degree of migraine. Patients of different genders had different degrees of migraine, women had a lighter degree of migraine and a reduced risk of moderate or severe migraine, women benefited more after treatment. Patients with different RLS grades have different postoperative migraine relief. Patients with preoperative RLS grade 3 have the most obvious postoperative migraine relief and patients with preoperative RLS grade 3 benefit more after treatment.