Patent foramen ovale and ischemic stroke recurrence: The end of a never-ending story?

During the last two decades, evidence has shown an association between patent foramen ovale (PFO) and cryptogenic stroke, predominantly in younger patients. In a meta-analysis of case-control studies, approximately 35%–50% of patients with cryptogenic ischemic stroke had a PFO, vs only 4%–10% of age-matched patients. That is a fivefold increase risk of cryptogenic stroke in younger patients with PFO.1 However, causality and its recurrence seem...