Background: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are independent risk factors for young conscious stroke which may also be concomitant symptoms with it. But there is no sufficient attention on these phenomena.
Objective: To investigate the relationship between PFO, OSA and young stroke, and to look for proper treatment.
Methods: Three patients with young conscious stroke were reported, each of them was combined with PFO and OSA. All patients were diagnosed as wake-up stroke (WUS). Contrast-enhanced transcranial doppler ultrasound (c-TCD) and polysomnography (PSG) test were used for auxiliary diagnosis.
Results: Right-to-left shunts and moderate to severe sleep apnea were observed. Increased body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin (HGB) and hematocrit (HCT) index were also observed. After continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, the number of microbubbles was reduced in one patient.
Conclusions: These suggest that coexistence of PFO and OSA may associate with a greater risk of youth stroke. Decrease risk of stroke might occur if treating with CPAP in patients with OSA.
Keywords: Youth stroke; obstructive sleep apnea; patent foramen ovale; sleep monitoring; transcranial doppler; wake-up stroke.