PATENT FORAMEN OVALE CLOSURE IN PATIENTS WITH CRYPTOGENIC STROKE: A WAY WITH NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE RESULTS

Approximately 40% of patients with cryptogenic stroke have a Permeable Foramen Oval, which is present in 20-25% of the healthy population. Controversy and doubt whether this structure should be closed when paradoxical embolism is suspected has been proposed to reduce the risk of recurrence. Some publications (trials CLOSURE I, RESPECT 2013 or PC TRIAL) discouraged it, based on the results obtained. New evidence published at the end of 2017 (CLOSE, REDUCE and RESPECT 2017 trials) changes the way of evidence to reopen the debate and delimit which patients the procedure should be considered since there is sufficient evidence to reduce the risk of recurrence in some selected patients