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Closure of patent foramen ovale may reduce migraine occurrence, intensity.


Byline: ANI

Washington, Feb 17 (ANI): A catheter-based closure of patent foramen ovale patent foramen ovale PFO Cardiology An opening between the left and right atria which allows blood to bypass the lungs in utero; the FO normally closes shortly after birth, but remains open in up to 20%; a PFO is, in absence of other cardiac defects, is of no consequence  (PFO)-a slight opening in the wall between the right and left atria-can help reduce the frequency and severity of disabling migraines in sufferers.

The new finding support previous studies that demonstrated that when a PFO is closed, whether it's following a stroke or decompression illness, migraine also tends to improve in almost 75 percent of cases.

But the current study was the first to recruit patients with severe migraine, a large PFO and no history of stroke or transient ischemic Ischemic
An inadequate supply of blood to a part of the body, caused by partial or total blockage of an artery.

Mentioned in: Antiangiogenic Therapy, Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Ventricular Fibrillation


ischemic
 attacks, but with silent brain lesions on magnetic resonance imaging magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), noninvasive diagnostic technique that uses nuclear magnetic resonance to produce cross-sectional images of organs and other internal body structures. .

"The study suggests closure of a large PFO may improve migraine in patients with subclinical brain lesions, as well as those with prior strokeIn the past, the beneficial effect on migraine was occasionally seen after PFO closure was performed for other reasons, for example, unexplained stroke," said Carlo Vigna, M.D., of Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza IRCCS Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.

He added: "Conversely, the recently published MIST trial did not show significant improvement of symptoms in 'pure migraneurs' in the absence of symptomatic or subclinical cerebral ischemia. As compared with these two extremes, we enrolled patients with an intermediate subset of characteristics."

For the study, the researchers divided the patients into either the closure (n=53) or control (n=29) group based on their consent to undergo percutaneous PFO closure, and prospectively examined for 6 months.

It was found that in comparison to the medically treated control group, closure of a PFO resulted in greater numbers of patients who had cessation of migraine attacks, cessation of disabling attacks and over 50 percent reduction in migraine attacks.

But the researchers said that despite the success, a larger randomised trial focusing on this patient population is needed.

Also, the relationship between PFO and migraine must be further examined and understood.

"We don't really know what's going on Verb 1. know what's going on - be well-informed
be on the ball, be with it, know the score, know what's what

know - know how to do or perform something; "She knows how to knit"; "Does your husband know how to cook?"
. A stroke could be caused if a blood clot passes across a PFO and travels to the brain, but with migraine we don't yet know what the trigger substance is that crosses the shunt. Not everyone with migraine has a PFO, and not everyone with a PFO has migraine; there are other causes that we don't yet understand," said Dr. Peter Wilmshurst, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital is a hospital in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. , United Kingdom.

The study has been published in the latest issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. (ANI)

Copyright 2009 Asian News International (ANI) - All Rights Reserved.

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Publication:Asian News International
Date:Feb 17, 2009
Words:419
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