SCAI Guidelines for the Management of Patent Foramen Ovale.

Background: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a vestigial congenital cardiovascular structure present in around 25% of adults. In most cases, PFO is entirely benign and requires no treatment. However, it may cause serious complications under certain circumstances.

Long-Term Outcomes of Patent Foramen Ovale Closure or Medical Therapy after Stroke.

Background: Whether closure of a patent foramen ovale reduces the risk of recurrence of ischemic stroke in patients who have had a cryptogenic ischemic stroke is unknown.

Methods: In a multicenter, randomized, open-label trial, with blinded adjudication of end-point events, we randomly assigned patients 18 to 60 years of age who had a patent foramen ovale (PFO) and had had a cryptogenic ischemic stroke to undergo closure of the PFO (PFO closure group) or to receive medical therapy alone (aspirin, warfarin, clopidogrel, or aspirin combined with extended-release dipyridamole; medical-therapy group). The primary efficacy end point was a composite of recurrent nonfatal ischemic stroke, fatal ischemic stroke, or early death after randomization.

Closure of patent foramen ovale versus medical therapy after cryptogenic stroke.

Background: Whether closure of a patent foramen ovale is effective in the prevention of recurrent ischemic stroke in patients who have had a cryptogenic stroke is unknown. We conducted a trial to evaluate whether closure is superior to medical therapy alone in preventing recurrent ischemic stroke or early death in patients 18 to 60 years of age.

Methods: In this prospective, multicenter, randomized, event-driven trial, we randomly assigned patients, in a 1:1 ratio, to medical therapy alone or closure of the patent foramen ovale.

Sex proportion of offspring and exposure to radiation in male invasive cardiologists.

High radiation exposure among male radiologists has been reported to result in a significantly higher proportion of female offspring. This study examined whether work-related radiation exposure was associated with a higher propensity for female offspring among male interventional cardiologists. On behalf of the interventional committee of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, an Internet-based questionnaire was sent to the society's 2063 members.

Antirestenotic effects of a locally delivered caspase inhibitor in a balloon injury model.

Background: The precise role of arterial barotrauma-mediated apoptosis in causing restenosis is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine if a link exists between angioplasty-mediated medial smooth muscle cell apoptosis and subsequent neointimal hyperplasia.

Methods And Results: Bilateral iliac artery angioplasty was performed in 25 male New Zealand White rabbits.

A comparison of arterial closure devices to manual compression in liver transplantation candidates undergoing coronary angiography.

Whether arterial closure devices can be used safely in a coagulopathic population undergoing cardiac catheterization and at high risk for groin complications, such as liver transplant candidates, is unknown. In this prospective, non-randomized consecutive series of 80 liver transplant candidates undergoing coronary angiography, manual compression and arterial closure devices were compared. Ilio-femoral angiography was performed to determine suitability for use of the closure device.

Post-cardiac catheterization access site complications and low-molecular -weight heparin following cardiac catheterization.

The low molecular weight heparin enoxaparin is often administered to patients on long-term anticoagulation regimens who temporarily discontinue warfarin prior to undergoing invasive procedures. The clinical outcome of all enoxaparin-treated patients who underwent cardiac catheterization or coronary artery interventional procedures (n = 119) was evaluated. A total of 5 patients (4.