Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure

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A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a small channel that has some hemodynamic consequence; it is a remnant of the fetal foramen ovale (/fəˈreɪmən oʊˈvæli, -ˈvɑː-, -ˈveɪ-/), which normally closes at birth. In medical use, the term "patent" (/ˈpeɪtənt/) means open or unobstructed. In approximately 25% of people, the foramen ovale fails to close properly, leaving them with a PFO or at least with what some physicians classify as a "pro-PFO", which is a PFO that is normally closed but can open under increased blood pressure. Clinically it is linked to decompression sickness, paradoxical embolism and migraine. On echocardiography, there may not be any shunting of blood noted except when the patient coughs.

PFO has been linked to strokes and the mechanism by which a PFO may play a role in stroke is called paradoxical embolism. In the case of PFO, a blood clot from the venous circulatory system is able to pass from the right atrium into the left atrium via the PFO, and ultimately into systemic circulation. PFO is common in patients with atrial septal aneurysms (ASA) which are also linked to cryptogenic (i.e. of unknown cause) strokes. PFO is more prevalent in patients with cryptogenic stroke than in patients with a stroke of known cause.

Treatments for PFO include surgical closure, percutaneous device closure, anticoagulant therapy, and antiplatelet agents

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure
Intervention Type	Therapeutic Procedure
Medicine System	Western Conventional