A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is present in approximately 25% of all adults. Author David M. Kent, MD, MS, of Tufts Medical Center and JAMA Associate Editor David Simel, MD, MHS, discuss how to evaluate the likelihood that a PFO was causal in a patient with a cryptogenic ischemic stroke, and closure of a PFO to lower the incidence of recurrent strokes for affected patients. Related Content:

Patent Foramen Ovale and Stroke
Patent Foramen Ovale and Dysarthria in a Man in His 60s
Management of Patients With a Patent Foramen Ovale With History of Stroke or TIA
Heterogeneity of Treatment Effects in an Analysis of Pooled Individual Patient Data From Randomized Trials of Device Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale After Stroke
Transesophageal Echocardiogram Detecting a High-Risk Patent Foramen Ovale

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JAMA Editors' Summary

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