The relationship of location of patent foramen ovale with severity of stroke: a life-saving radiological approach

This poster is published under an open license. Please read the disclaimer for further details.

Congress:

ECR 2014

Poster Number:

B-0512

Type:

Scientific Paper

Keywords:

Cardiac, Neuroradiology brain, Management, CT-High Resolution, MR, CT, Screening, Computer Applications-Detection, diagnosis, Computer Applications-Virtual imaging, Ischaemia / Infarction, Tissue characterisation, Congenital

Authors:

M. F. Erkoc¹, �. Örsçelik¹, B. Öztoprak¹, A. Okur², M. Kantarci³, Y. Kizrak³; ¹Yüceyurt/TR, ²Yozgat/TR, ³Erzurum/TR

DOI:

10.1594/ecr2014/B-0512

DOI-Link:

https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/ecr2014/B-0512

Fig. 1: The appearance of PFO in cardiac CT slices.

Fig. 2: The appearance of PFO in cardiac CT slices.

Fig. 3: The DW-MRI slice of moderate enfarct.

Purpose

Patent foramen ovale (PFO), is a common developmental anomaly that causes paradoxical embolus and may be found in approximately 25% of adults. In literature PFO and stroke is well associated as PFO causes for up to 40% of all ischemic strokes. However, percutaneous closure of PFO for the patients with/without stroke is controversial. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship of the location of PFO with severity of stroke and to help identify the patients who would benefit from percutaneous PFO closure...

Methods and materials

17 patients with stroke and echocardiographically-proven PFO were classified according to the severity of stroke by cranial MRI; and the locations of PFO were determined as superior and inferior based on an imaginary line that separates the interatrial septum into two equal parts by cardiac CT. Paired statistical analysis was applied.

Results

4 patients (%47) revealed mild, 5 patients (%30) severe and 8 patients (%23) moderate according to their severity of stroke. On the basis of PFO locations, there were 13 (%77) patients with superiorly (group I), and 4 patients (%23) with inferiorly located PFO (group II). Statistically, there was a strong correlation between the patients presenting with moderate and severe stroke with group I (p<0,005).

Conclusion

In conclusion superiorly located PFO patients have a greater risk for stroke and may face different neurological problems in their rest of life, percutaneous closure of superiorly located PFOs when detected will provide a life-saving process. In recent studies the percutaneous PFO closure is suggested for some patients but the indication of closure is controversial. Some authors suggests for closure immediately when detected while others defend for closure unless complications appears. As recent technological improvements chance us to image PFO and its location radiologically, these...

Personal information

References

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