Short-Term and Two-Year Rate of Recurrent Cerebrovascular Events in Patients with Acute Cerebral Ischemia of Undetermined Aetiology, with and without a Patent Foramen Ovale
Table 2
Differences in clinical and radiological characteristics of the index event and two-year outcome between patients with a PFO confirmed by combined ultrasound approach and those with negative c-TCD study for RLS (i.e., PFO-negative patients).
PFO (+) patients
PFO (−) patients
P value
Index event: TIA/stroke, (%)
10 (17.5%)
20 (27%)
0.1
Single/multiple/no acute lesion,
37/10/10
35/17/20
0.1
Anterior circulation stroke (MCA), (%)
32 (56%)
40 (55%)
0.78
Symptoms on awakening, (%)
10 (17.5%)
8 (11%)
0.09
Onset NIHSS score, mean (±SD)
5 (±4)
6 (±5)
0.3
24-hour NIHSS score, mean (±SD)
3 (±3)
5 (±4)
0.04
Discharge NIHSS score, mean (±SD)
2 (±3)
3 (±3)
0.11
Days of in-hospital stay, mean (±SD)
4.4 (±2.1)
4.5 (±2.7)
0.3
Three-month outcome
NIHSS score, mean (±SD)
2 (±2)
2 (±2)
0.28
mRS score, mean (±SD)
2 (±1)
1 (±2)
0.35
BI score, mean (±SD)
92 (±24)
97 (±25)
0.19
Two-year rate of stroke recurrence or death
5/48 (10.4%)*
6/72 (8.3%)
0.65
MCA indicates middle cerebral artery; NIHSS: National Institute of Health Stroke Scale; mRS: modified Rankin Scale; BI: Barthel Index. *9/57 (15.8%) patients underwent to percutaneous PFO closure and no recurrent events or death were recorded in this group.
