PREVALENCE OF PATENT FORAMEN OVALE IN YOUNG PATIENTSWITH CRYPTOGENIC ISCHEMIC STROKE

Patent foramen ovale (pfo) is the most commonly persistent abnormality offetal origin. pfo has long been recognized as a potential risk factor for ischemic stroke. thisstudy has shown the prevalence of pfo among young patients with cryptogenic stroke.methods: in our case-control study we had 32 patients, 18 to 55 years old with cryptogenicstroke and 64 participants among normal population with matched age and sex in control group.we studied them for stroke risk factors like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease,dyslipidemia and then election of pfo by contrast trans-thoracic echocardiography.data entered in spssll and analyzed by chi-square and logistic regression. p value less than0.05 was considered statistically significant.results: we found that 37.5 % of patients in case group and 7.7 % of patients in controls hadpfo and this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.001). they had no significant differencein other atherosclerosis risk factors. in control group we saw small shunt but in strokegroup large shunt was more prevalence (p < 0.05).conclusion: our findings supported this idea that pfo is a predisposing factor for strokeand it had a higher prevalence among patients with cryptogenic stroke. besides, large shunt wasmore concomitant with ischemic attack. then we suggest any patient with undefined cause ofstroke must be evaluated for pfo.