Morphology of the patent foramen ovale in asymptomatic versus symptomatic (stroke or transient ischemic attack) patients.

The clinical implications of patent foramen ovale (PFO) morphology are still debated. Quantitative analysis by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is helpful in characterizing PFO morphology. The aim of this study was to determine whether there were differences in the anatomy of PFOs on TEE in patients with and without recurrent cryptogenic stroke or transient ischemic attack.

Late thrombosis of drug-eluting stents: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Purpose: Drug-eluting stents are commonly used for percutaneous coronary intervention. Despite excellent clinical efficacy, the association between drug-eluting stents and the risk for late thrombosis remains imprecisely defined.

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis on 14 contemporary clinical trials that randomized 6675 patients to drug-eluting stents (paclitaxel or sirolimus) compared with bare metal stents.