Cerebrovascular accidents are the third most frequent cause of death, in some advanced countries they are even in the second place. As much as one-third of them may occur due to a heart disease. One of possible cardiogenic causes is a septum abnormality – foramen ovale patens and atrial septum aneurysm. The incidence of these abnormalities in population is not exceptional, and their relationship to ischemic cerebral accidents remains controversial. These abnormalities are of greater importance in connection with primary cryptogenic stroke, particularly in patients under 55 years of age. The report summs up etiopathogenetic knowledge about foramen ovale patens and septal atrium aneurysm, deals with the relationship between these abnormalities and ischemic cerebrovascular accidents, gives possibilities and difficulties of their detection, and shows present methods for a secondary prevention of cerebral ischemic relapse in patients with proved foramen ovale patens and/or atrial septum neurysm.

        Key words: cerebrovascular accident, foramen ovale patens, atrial septum aneurysm, transesophageal echocardiography, transcranial doppler sonography, percutaneous occlusion, antiaggregation, anticoagulation