Symptoms and Causes
Most patients with a PFO do not have any symptoms. However, the condition may play a role in migraine headaches and it increases the risk of stroke, transient ischemic attack and heart attack.
What type of stroke is caused by PFO?
In the past 20 years, the role of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) as a risk factor for ischemic stroke has been established, especially for those strokes that lack an apparent cause (cryptogenic strokes).
How often does PFO cause stroke?
PFO and Stroke
CS comprises 15–40% of all ischemic strokes, and PFO occurs in 40–56% in patients <55 years old with CS or transient ischemic attack (TIA) (6, 12, 14). One has to distinguish between PFO being a direct cause of stroke and PFO being a risk factor for stroke.
