title: Brain magnetic resonance imaging findings in cryptogenic stroke patients under 60 years with patent foramen ovale.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain feature in cryptogenic stroke patients with patent foramen ovale (PFO), cryptogenic stroke patients without PFO and patients with cardioembolic stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ethics committee required neither institutional review board approval nor informed patient consent for retrospective analyses of the patients' medical records and imaging data. The patients' medical files were retrospectively reviewed in accordance with human subject research protocols. Ninety-two patients under 60 years of age were included: 15 with cardioembolic stroke, 32 with cryptogenic stroke with PFO and 45 with cryptogenic stroke without PFO. Diffusion-weighted imaging of brain MRI was performed by a radiologist blinded to clinical data. Univariate, Fischer's exact test for qualitative data and non-parametric Wilcoxon test for quantitative data were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference found between MRI features of patients with PFO and those with cardioembolic stroke (p<.05). Patients without PFO present more corticosubcortical single lesions (p<.05) than patients with PFO. Patients with PFO have more often subcortical single lesions larger than 15mm, involvement of posterior cerebral arterial territory and intracranial occlusion (p<.05) than patients with cryptogenic stroke without PFO.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests a cardioembolic mechanism in ischemic stroke with PFO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, France; Thrombosis Research Group EA 3065, Jean Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, France. Electronic address: claire.boutet@chu-st-etienne.fr.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boutet
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, France. Electronic address: laurerouffiange@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Laure
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rouffiange-Leclair
authors.affiliation: Thrombosis Research Group EA 3065, Jean Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, France; Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, France. Electronic address: pierre.garnier@chu-st-etienne.fr.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garnier
authors.affiliation: Thrombosis Research Group EA 3065, Jean Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, France. Electronic address: sara.quenet@chu-st-etienne.fr.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quenet
authors.affiliation: Thrombosis Research Group EA 3065, Jean Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, France; Department of Therapeutic Medicine, CHU Saint-Etienne, Hôpital Nord, Saint-Etienne, France; Inserm, CIE3, F-42055 Saint-Etienne, France. Electronic address: daphne.delsart@hotmail.fr.
authors.forename: Daphné
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Delsart
authors.affiliation: Thrombosis Research Group EA 3065, Jean Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, France; Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, France. Electronic address: jvarvat@9online.fr.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Varvat
authors.affiliation: Thrombosis Research Group EA 3065, Jean Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, France; Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, France. Electronic address: magali.epinat@chu-st-etienne.fr.
authors.forename: Magali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Epinat
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, France; Thrombosis Research Group EA 3065, Jean Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, France. Electronic address: fabien.schneider@univ-st-etienne.fr.
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, France; Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, France; EA 4338, Jean Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, France. Electronic address: j.christophe.antoine@chu-st-etienne.fr.
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Antoine
authors.affiliation: Thrombosis Research Group EA 3065, Jean Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, France; Department of Therapeutic Medicine, CHU Saint-Etienne, Hôpital Nord, Saint-Etienne, France; Inserm, CIE3, F-42055 Saint-Etienne, France. Electronic address: Patrick.mismetti@chu-st-etienne.fr.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mismetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, France; Thrombosis Research Group EA 3065, Jean Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, France. Electronic address: fabrice.guy.barral@univ-st-etienne.fr.
authors.forename: Fabrice-Guy
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Barral
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D054092:Foramen Ovale, Patent / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D020766:Intracranial Embolism / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Brain; Diffusion weighted MRI; Foramen ovale; Patent; Stroke