Device Closure Versus Medical Therapy for Cryptogenic Stroke Patients With High-Risk Patent Foramen Ovale (DEFENSE-PFO)

Background and hypothesis: The appropriate treatment strategy for secondary stroke prevention in patients with cryptogenic stroke and patent foramen ovale (PFO) remains challenging. Clinical and anatomical variables reported to be risk factors associated with stroke recurrence include older age, large PFO, large right-to-left shunting, and combined atrial septal aneurysm (ASA), which, however, were not confirmed by other studies. The investigators hypothesized that percutaneous closure of PFO could be an effective option for secondary prevention in cryptogenic stroke patients with high-risk PFO. Trial Objective: The primary objective of this study is to assess whether percutaneous device closure of PFO is superior to conventional antithrombotic treatment in preventing stroke recurrence in the cryptogenic stroke patients with high-risk PFO.