Patent foramen ovale and cryptogenic stroke.

Strokes are the leading cause of long-term, serious disability. A variety of identifiable risk factors exists for the development of a stroke. Individuals who had no definite and clearly identifiable cause for a stroke experience a cryptogenic stroke. The presence of a patent foramen ovale, a flaplike opening of the atrial septum between the septum primum and secundum, contributes to a 40% to 56% incidence of a cryptogenic stroke. This article reviews the pathophysiology of a patent foramen ovale, the diagnostic tests, and nurse's awareness of the potential etiology of a stroke in a younger individual.