Clinical pattern in pfo-associated stroke

Patent foraшen ovale (PFO) l1as been docuшented аѕ а cause of stroke in young patients. Tl1e аiш is to deterшine the prevalence, clinical pattem and trigger factors in young patients with PFO-associated stroke. We prospectively exaшined the prevalence of PFO-associated stroke in 95 consecutive patients, aged ≤57 years with stroke/ТIA, its clinical and iшaging cl1aracteristics, and relationship with physical activity - induced Valsalva trigger factшs. PF() was detected in 56.6% of patients with cryptogenic stroke (СЅ)/ТТА and in 18.18% of patients with stroke/ТIA with а known cause, and СЅ/ТIАѕ with PFO were significantly шоrе often localized in the vertebrobasilar circulation coшpared to strokes/TIA without а PFO (60% vs 30.43%; р=О.03). Exposure to physical activity аѕ а trigger factor was significantly associated with the presence of PFO coшpared to patients without PFO (37% vs 8.33%, р=О.023). RoPe score ≥7 was obtained in 73.33% of patients with CS/TIA. In 96.67% of patients vvith right to left shunt detected on Bubble-cTCD with СЅ/ТIА, а PFO was conf1r111ed by ТЕЕ and percutaneous PFO closure was perfonned in 73.33% of patients. Our results suggest that there is а large proportion of patients with PFO and СЅ/ТIА, with the likelihood that PFO in their саѕе is etiologically related to stroke. We showed that pl1ysical activity - induced Valsalva could provoke an asyшptoшatic PFO to bесоше pathological, causing PFO-associated stroke in young adults, шоrе likely in the vertebrobasilar circulation. Keywords: PFO; cryptogenic stoke; trigger factors