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Background: The right comprehension of ischemic stroke pathogenesis guarantees the best prevention therapy. The term "patent foramen ovale (PFO) related stroke" has been proposed for those events where PFO is supposed to be pathogenetic, but their definition is challenging. A multidisciplinary evaluation in a "Heart & Brain" team (HBteam) including stroke neurologists and interventional cardiologists was therefore highly recommended in the recent guidelines of secondary stroke prevention., Objective: We aimed at describing the organization of the HBteam of Careggi-University-Hospital of Florence (Italy), and the results of the first seven years of activity., Methods: In 2016 Interventional Cardiologists and Stroke Neurologists set up an outpatient clinic for the joined evaluation of patients with PFO and other cardio/neurological conditions. A specific diagnostic-therapeutic hospital plan was produced for PFO patients. Patient empowerment was guaranteed by a hospital explicative webpage, a booklet regarding risks/benefits of PFO closure and a 3D heartmodel to simulate the intervention. Data were collected in a dedicated registry., Results: We evaluated 594 patients for PFO, 40 for left atrial appendage closure and 38 for other conditions. In 20% of PFO-patients, HBteam diagnosis was discordant from that of referring physicians, 14% were stroke misdiagnoses. We advised against closure in 53% of patients. At follow-up 94% of closed patients had no/minimum residual shunt; 3 patients had a cerebral ischemic event., Conclusions: A dedicated HBteam represents a unique opportunity to share decisions with patients after a thorough empowerment process. The joining of cardioneurological skills allows a better classification of PFO-patients, reducing futile interventions., (© 2023. Fondazione Società Italiana di Neurologia.)

Background: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure is superior to medical therapy alone to prevent stroke recurrence in selected patients. Small cortical infarcts and large right to left shunts seem to identify patients who will benefit most from closure. We aimed to study the correlation between the size of the PFO and the volume of cerebral ischemic lesions in young patients with cryptogenic ischemic stroke., Methods: PFO dimensions and acute ischemic lesion volume of 20 patients, aged<55 years, were analyzed with transesophageal echocardiography and brain magnetic resonance imaging, respectively. The association between the volume of ischemic lesions with the length of PFO, maximum separation between septum primum and septum secundum, and the combination of the twos was explored., Results: A direct statistically significant correlation was found between cerebral lesion volume and maximum separation of septum primum and septum secundum (p=0.047). Length of PFO showed a non-significant trend towards an inverse correlation with lesion volume (p=0.603). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that cerebral lesion volume was dependent directly on maximum separation and inversely on length of PFO (regression coeff. -0,837; p= 0.057; 2,536, p=0.006, respectively)., Conclusions: These data suggest that even small PFO might be pathogenetic in case of small cerebral infarcts and that large cerebral infarcts might be PFO related if the shunt is large. If confirmed, the combination of detailed characteristics of PFO with the volume of cerebral infarct could be integrated in a new score to select patients who would take real advantage from a percutaneous closure., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Introduction and Objectives: Despite the efficacy of oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy, some patients continue to have a high residual risk and develop a stroke on OAC therapy (resistant stroke [RS]), and there is a lack of evidence on the management of these patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the safety and efficacy of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) as secondary prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who have experienced a stroke/transient ischemic attack despite OAC treatment., Methods: We analyzed data from the Amplatzer Cardiac Plug multicenter registry on 1047 consecutive patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation undergoing LAAO. Patientes with previous stroke on OAC therapy as indication for LAAO were identified and compared with patients with other indications., Results: A total of 115 patients (11%) with RS were identified. The CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc and the HAS-BLED score were significantly higher in the RS group (respectively 5.5±1.5 vs 4.3±1.6; P <.001; 3.9±1.3 vs 3.1±1.2; P <.001). No significant differences were observed in periprocedural major safety events (7.8 vs 4.5%; P=.1). With a mean clinical follow-up of 16.2±12.2 months, the observed annual stroke/transient ischemic attack rate for the RS group was 2.6% (65% risk reduction) and the observed annual major bleeding rate was 0% (100% risk reduction)., Conclusions: Patients with RS undergoing LAAO showed similar safety outcomes to patients without RS, with a significant reduction in stroke/transient ischemic attack and major bleeding events during follow-up. Adequately powered controlled trials are needed to further investigate the use of LAAO in RS patients., (Copyright © 2019 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Percutaneous patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure is an intervention aimed to prevent cardioembolic stroke. It recently proved to be superior to antiplatelet therapy in preventing recurrent strokes in a well-selected population of patients with a previous cryptogenic cerebral ischemic event. A large part of the clinical advantage of PFO transcatheter therapy derives from the very high efficacy and safety of the maneuver. Various types of devices with different characteristics are currently available for the use of the interventionists. Recently, a direct PFO suture device has been added to the device list, allowing for PFO closure without implanting any prosthesis. This article describes the procedure of PFO closure with a particular focus on the main characteristics of the various devices available. A road-map of choice among the various prostheses is also provided, keeping in mind the patient's clinical features and the various PFO anatomies.

Cardioembolic strokes are generally more lethal and disabling than other source of strokes. Data from PROTECT AF (Watchman Left Atrial Appendage Closure Technology for Embolic Protection in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation) suggest that strokes after left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) with the Watchman device are less disabling than those in the warfarin group. No data assessing the severity of strokes after LAAO with the AMPLATZER Cardiac Plug (ACP) are available. The objective of the study was to evaluate the severity of cerebrovascular events after LAAO with the ACP in a population mostly characterized by an absolute or relative contraindication to oral anticoagulation. Data from the ACP multicenter registry were analyzed. Disabling strokes were defined as those with a modified Rankin score of 3 to 6 at 90 days after the event. A total of 1,047 subjects were included. The mean age and CHADS 2 score were 75 ± 8 years and 2.8 ± 1.3, respectively. Procedural success was achieved in 97.3% and 4.9% of the patients presented procedural major adverse events. Clinical follow-up was complete in 98.2% of patients with a median of 13 months. There were 9 strokes (0.9%), 9 transient ischemic attacks (0.9%), and no intracranial hemorrhages (0%) at follow-up. After excluding 2 patients with pre-LAAO disability, functional assessment showed disabling events in 3 (19%) of the remaining 16 patients. The median time of presentation was 420 days (interquartile range 234 to 671) after LAAO, and 17 patients (94%) were on single-antiplatelet therapy when the event occurred. According to our results, cerebrovascular events after LAAO with the ACP system were infrequent and mostly nondisabling., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Stroke incidence after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) still represents a concern. This multicentre study aimed at investigating the hypothesis that CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores may be used to predict perioperative stroke after TAVI., Methods: The Italian Transcatheter Balloon-Expandable Valve Implantation Registry (ITER) is a multicentre, prospective registry of patients undergoing balloon-expandable TAVI using Edwards Sapien and Sapien XT prosthesis between 2007 and 2012. The primary end-point of this study was the 30-day stroke rate. Secondary safety end-points were all the major adverse events based on Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC-2) criteria., Results: One thousand nine hundred and four patients were enrolled in the registry. Mean age was 81.6 ± 6.2 years and 1147 (60.2%) patients were female; mean CHADS 2 and CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc scores were 2.2 ± 0.8 and 4.4 ± 1.1, respectively. Fifty-four (2.8%) patients had a stroke within 30 days. At multivariable logistic regression analysis, CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.03-1.78; P = 0.031) and previous cardiac surgery (OR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.06-3.6; P = 0.033) but not CHADS 2 (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.76-1.44; P = 0.77) were found to be independent predictors of in-hospital stroke. A CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score ≥5 was strongly related to the occurrence of in-hospital stroke (OR: 2.51, 95% CI: 1.38-4.57; P= 0.001). However, CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score showed only poor accuracy for in-hospital stroke with a trend for better accuracy when compared with CHADS 2 score (area under the curve: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.59-0.63 vs 0.51; 95% CI: 0.49-0.54, respectively, P = 0.092)., Conclusions: In TAVI patients, CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc provided a strong correlation for in-hospital stroke but with low accuracy. Dedicated scores to properly tailor procedures and preventive strategies are needed., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Aims: To investigate the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) with the AMPLATZER Cardiac Plug (ACP) for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF)., Methods and Results: Data from consecutive patients treated in 22 centres were collected. A total of 1,047 patients were included in the study. Procedural success was 97.3%. There were 52 (4.97%) periprocedural major adverse events. Follow-up was complete in 1,001/1,019 (98.2%) of successfully implanted patients (average 13 months, total 1,349 patient-years). One-year all-cause mortality was 4.2%. No death at follow-up was reported as device-related. There were nine strokes (0.9%) and nine transient ischaemic attacks (0.9%) during follow-up. The annual rate of systemic thromboembolism was 2.3% (31/1,349 patient-years), which is a 59% risk reduction. There were 15 major bleedings (1.5%) during follow-up. The annual rate of major bleeding was 2.1% (28/1,349 patient-years), which is a 61% risk reduction. Patients with single LAAO on aspirin monotherapy or no therapy and longer follow-up had fewer cerebral and fewer bleeding events., Conclusions: In this multicentre study, LAAO with the ACP showed high procedural success and a favourable outcome for the prevention of AF-related thromboembolism. Modification in antithrombotic therapy after LAAO may result in reduction of bleeding events.

Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is emerging as a promising alternative to oral anticoagulation. Because aged patients present a greater risk of not only cardioembolic events but also major bleeding, LAAO might represent a valid alternative as this would allow oral anticoagulation cessation while keeping cardioembolic protection. The objective of the study was to explore the safety and efficacy of LAAO in elderly patients. Data from the AMPLATZER Cardiac Plug multicenter registry were analyzed. The cohort was categorized in 2 groups (<75 vs ≥ 75 years). A total of 1,053 subjects were included in the registry. Of them, 219 were excluded because of combined procedures. As a result, 828 subjects were included (54.6% ≥ 75 years). Procedural success was high and similar in both groups (97.3%). Acute procedural major adverse events were not statistically different among groups (3.2% in <75 years vs 5.1%; p = 0.17) although stratified analysis showed a higher incidence of cardiac tamponade in elderly patients (0.5% vs 2.2%; p = 0.04). With a median follow-up of 16.8 months, no significant differences in stroke/TIA (1.9% vs 2.3%; p = 0.89) and major bleeding (1.7% vs 2.6%; p = 0.54) were observed. In conclusion, LAAO was associated with similar procedural success in patients aged <75 and ≥ 75 years although older patients had a higher incidence of cardiac tamponade. At follow-up, stroke and major bleeding rates were similar among groups., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)