Patent foramen ovale transcatheter closure device thrombosis

The role of patent foramen ovale (PFO) in patients with cryptogenic stroke (stroke of unknown cause) remains controversial, although an association se ems likely in younger patients with atrial septal aneurysms and PFO. The me chanism of cryptogenic stroke in these patients is presumed to be paradoxic al embolism via right-to-left shunt across the PFO. The available options f or treatment include medical therapy with antiplatelet or anticoagulant the rapy or closure of the PFO surgically or with use of transcatheter PFO clos ure devices. We describe 2 cases of bilateral device thrombosis associated with use of a transcatheter PFO closure device (CardioSEAL). To our knowled ge, only I other case of thrombosis associated with use of this device has been reported.