Unresolved or Contradictory Issues About Management of Patients With Patent Foramen Ovale and Previous Cryptogenic Stroke: Additional Randomized Controlled Trials Are Eagerly Awaited

Efficacy of interventional closure therapy on cryptogenic stroke with coexisting patent foramen ovale in young patients and its impact on serum fibrinogen and D-dimer levels

OBJECTIVE

To explore the efficacy of interventional closure therapy in young patients with cryptogenic stroke and coexisting patent foramen ovale and analyze its impact on serum fibrinogen and D-dimer levels.

METHODS

All subjects in this study were young stroke patients with PFO. After excluding patients who did not meet the inclusion criteria, they were registered and divided into two groups based on the treatment method: the closure group and the medical group.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in basic clinical data between the two groups, indicating comparability (p > 0.05). The closure group showed better heart function after treatment compared to the medical group, with significant differences (p < 0.05). Headache symptoms in the closure group were less severe than those in the medical group after treatment, with significant differences (p < 0.05). Laboratory indicators in the closure group were better than those in the medical group after treatment, with significant differences (p < 0.05). Serum fibrinogen and D-dimer levels in the closure group were lower than those in the medical group after treatment, with significant differences (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Interventional closure therapy demonstrated positive effects on young patients with cryptogenic stroke and coexisting PFO, showing improvements in heart function, headache symptoms, and blood coagulation parameters. While the study suggests potential benefits, cautious interpretation is warranted, given the observational study design. Further research with a larger sample size and long-term follow-up is needed to validate these findings.

Platypnea-Orthodeoxia Syndrome: Multiple Pathophysiological Interpretations of a Clinical Picture Primarily Consisting of Orthostatic Dyspnea

Platypnea–orthodexia syndrome (POS) is often a challenging diagnostic problem. It is characterized by dyspnea that is accentuated by standing or sitting positions due to a marked fall in blood oxygen saturation, and instead is improved by assuming the lying position. In the present brief review, the authors address the pathophysiology of POS, and outline its clinical symptoms as well as the main modalities of diagnostic evaluation and possible therapeutic options. Moreover, some problems concerning much-debated issues and persistent uncertainties about the pathophysiology of POS are presented along with the description of the diagnostic and therapeutic resources currently available for this syndrome.

Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome : Orthostatic dyspnea and possible pathophysiological substrates

Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome (POS) is a rare disorder characterized by the emergence of a right-to-left shunt at the intracardiac or intrapulmonary level. The clinical picture is distinguished by shortness of breath that worsens on standing due to an accentuation of oxygen desaturation, and instead improves, at least partly, in the recumbent position. In this article we present a brief review of the pathophysiology of POS, as well as its clinical picture, diagnostic assessment, and preferential therapeutic options. Pathophysiological issues that are still not completely understood or much debated are outlined. The currently accepted pathophysiological concepts are presented and a summary of the main diagnostic and therapeutic tools is provided.