Recurrent Stroke

The epidemiology of TOAST classification in Asian patients seems to differ due to the higher rates of large-artery atherosclerosis. The complex pathology of atherosclerosis could lead to recurrent stroke, including shear stress on the endothelium, disturbance of the flow, occlusion at the origin of the perforating artery, and other complications (plaque inflammation, plaque hemorrhage, plaque rupture) that could lead to stroke and recurrent stroke. Therefore, The exact determination of the etiology of stroke due to atherosclerosis is the most critical factor for treatment and prognostic. On the other hand, HR-MRI could be a useful imaging modality to evaluate the characteristics of plaque in stroke patients due to atherosclerosis stenosis, which will help us find out the etiology of stroke. Previous studies have demonstrated its prognosis value in predicting recurrent stroke in the same vascular territory. The investigators hypothesize that with an appropriate evaluation, HR-MRI could help to predict recurrent stroke in the same vascular territory in patients with high-risk plaque characteristics on HR-MRI. These findings could contribute to individual treatment according to etiology. The investigators intend to conduct a study to determine the correlation between plaque characteristics and recurrent stroke in the same vascular territory in ischemic stroke patients due to middle cerebral artery stenosis.

Patent foramen ovale PFO closure has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with recurrent stroke. However, the majority of existing clinical studies in this field excluded patients over the age of 60 years. Data in older patients is limited and since the population ages and stroke remains a major cause of death and morbidity, randomized clinical trials are needed to better assess the benefit of PFO closure in this elderly population. Therefore, this study proposal sought to determine the efficacy of PFO closure for the prevention of recurrent stroke in older patients with PFO and cryptogenic stroke.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether adding cilostazol to aspirin or clopidogrel prevents stroke and heart attack in people who have had a stroke or mini-stroke.