Neurologic clinics
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Endovascular therapy for acute stroke has evolved with the use of intra-arterial thrombolytics, intravenous/intra-arterial bridging strategies, and mechanical thrombectomy/aspiration devices. Despite widespread use in clinical practice, randomized trials of first-generation devices failed to demonstrate improved outcomes compared with standard care. ⋯ Additional randomized trials are underway and have the potential to confirm clinical efficacy of new-generation devices compared with standard care. The role of additional advanced imaging for patient selection remains unclear, and further trials are needed to demonstrate the role of these techniques for patient selection.
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Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is common and only rarely related to stroke. The high PFO prevalence in healthy individuals makes for difficult decision making when a PFO is found in the setting of a cryptogenic stroke, because the PFO may be an incidental finding. ⋯ The optimal antithrombotic strategy for these patients is also unknown. Recent work has identified a risk score that estimates PFO-attributable fractions based on individual patient characteristics, although whether this score can help direct therapy is unclear.