scholarly journals Is the patent foramen ovale closure the best option?

2012 ◽  
Vol 70 (12) ◽  
pp. 934-938
Author(s):  
Viviane Flumignan Zetola ◽  
Melissa Castello Branco e Silva ◽  
Marcos Christiano Lange ◽  
Juliano Andre Muzzio ◽  
Edison Matos Novak ◽  
...  

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure is indicated in some cases to protect patients against embolic events. The aim of this study was to certify that the method of PFO closure to prevent microemboli (MES) is reliable, using contrast enhanced transcranial Doppler (cTCD) as a diagnostic and follow-up tool. METHODS: cTCD was performed before and after PFO closure in 20 patients. Results obtained a minimum of 12 months after the procedure were analyzed in this study. RESULTS: After the procedure, 14 patients (82%) showed no microemboli in cTCD at rest, but after provocative Valsalva maneuver (VM) microembolic phenomenon were still detected in 14 (70%): 7 (35%) <10 MES, 3 (15%) 10-20 MES and 4 (20%) had more than 20 MES ("curtain"). Only six of the total patients presented no MES in both resting and VM. CONCLUSION: These results showed a large percentage of patients with MES detection in a bubble study with transcranial Doppler more than one year after the procedure of PFO closure, showing right-to-left residual shunting. Despite the small number of patients, this study provides important data about this therapeutic decision.

Cephalalgia ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 360-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
GP Anzola ◽  
G Meneghetti ◽  
C Zanferrari ◽  
A Adami ◽  
L Dinia ◽  
...  

Migraine with aura (MA) is associated with the persistence of patent foramen ovale (PFO) in about 50% of cases, and migraineurs tend to have larger shunts than controls, suggesting that right-to-left shunt (RILES) determined by PFO could play a role in triggering migraine attacks. Moreover, some preliminary reports have suggested that PFO closure may give relief to both migraine and aura attacks. The aim of this study was to clarify if shunt-associated migraine (SAM) has clinical features that allow a distinction from shunt-unrelated migraine (SUM), in a prospective, multicentre, observational study (SAM study). We enrolled consecutive MA patients, who underwent a structured, standardized questionnaire for family and personal history and for detailed migraine features. All were systematically screened for RILES with transcranial Doppler, and for coagulation disorders. Overall, 460 patients were included; the SUM and SAM classes comprised 58% and 42% of patients, respectively. SAM patients were significantly younger (34.1 ± 10 vs. 37.1 ± 11 years), had a more frequent family history of migraine (76% vs. 66%) and a higher frequency of sensory symptoms of aura (51% vs. 41%); by contrast, there was a lesser association of SAM with other cardiac abnormalities and with coagulation disorders. The SAM study suggests that the effect of RILES on migraine features is not relevant. The higher family history of migraine in SAM suggests a possible genetic linkage between migraine and RILES.


2008 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 785-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Christiano Lange ◽  
Viviane Flumignan Zétola ◽  
Admar Moraes de Souza ◽  
Élcio Juliato Piovesan ◽  
Juliano André Muzzio ◽  
...  

Right-to-left shunt (RLS) can be identified by contrast-enhanced transcranial Doppler (cTCD) in patent foramen ovale (PFO) patients. AIM: To evaluate cTCD for PFO screening comparing it to cTEE. METHOD: 45 previous cTCD performed for PFO diagnosis and correlated its findings with cTEE. Patients were submitted to a cTCD standardized technique and were divided in two groups according to RLS: Group 1, patients with a positive RLS and Group 2 when RLS was negative. RESULTS: 29 (65%) patients were included in group 1 and 16 (35%) in group 2. PFO confirmation by cTEE was performed in 28 (62%) patients. cTCD had a 92.85% sensitivity, 82.35% specificity, 89.65% positive predictive value and 87.5% negative predictive value when compared to cTEE for PFO diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Standardized technique cTCD allows for RLS visualization in PFO patients with a good correlation with cTEE and can be used as a screening test before cTEE.


2012 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 578-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Nicoleti Zamproni ◽  
Viviane Flumignan Zétola ◽  
Marcos Christiano Lange

OBJECTIVE: Patent foramen ovale is associated with paradoxical embolism (PE) and stroke. Hypercoagulable states, such as antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), can exacerbate PE by increasing clot formation. The aim of this study was to verify whether patients with APS and stroke present a right-to-left shunt (RLS) with greater frequency than patients with APS but without stroke. METHODS: Fifty-three patients with APS were tested for RLS using contrast-enhanced transcranial Doppler (cTCD): 23 patients had a history of stroke (Stroke Group) and 30 had no history of stroke (No-stroke Group). RESULTS: cTCD was positive in 15 patients (65%) from the Stroke Group and in 16 patients (53%) in the No-stroke Group (p=0.56). The proportion of patients with a small RLS (<10 high-intensity transient sign or HITS) and a large RLS (>10 HITS) was similar between the groups without significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: Our data do not support the theory that paradoxical embolism may play an important role in stroke in APS patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-102
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Dziewiatowski ◽  
Piotr Siermontowski

Abstract Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a condition present in 25% of the adult population. It is a remnant of fetal foramen ovale which allows blood to pass from the right to the left atrium, bypassing the fetal lungs. In majority adults it does not have any clinical significance, but in some people it may allow shunting of venous blood into the left atrium (right – left – shunt or RLS), circumventing the lung filter, especially during sneezing, cough, lifting heavy equipment. Is such case, PFO may be a route for venous emboli or gas bubbles from veins to the arterial system. It is known as a paradoxical embolism and may be cause of ischaemic stroke or neurologic decompression sickness (DCI), inner-ear DCI and cutis marmorata. Transesophageal echocardiography is considered as a reference standard in detection of intracardial shunts. Its sensitivity and specificity ranges between 94%-100%. However, TEE is an invasive examination with potentially serious side effects. An alternative examination in RLS detection is contrast enhanced Transcranial Doppler (the bubble study or c-TCD). In comparison to TEE, Transcranial Doppler is not invasive, relatively not expensive and save technique. With its high sensitivity and specificity in detection of PFO, 97% and 93% respectively, it may improve detection of RLS and allow to conduct screening examination for PFO in divers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Xiaoxue Yang ◽  
Hua Wang ◽  
Yajuan Wei ◽  
Nina Zhai ◽  
Baomin Liu ◽  
...  

Objectives. To access the distinct values of contrast transcranial Doppler (cTCD), contrast transthoracic echocardiography (cTTE), and contrast transesophageal echocardiography (cTEE) in the diagnosis of right-to-left shunt (RLS) due to patent foramen ovale (PFO) and to define the most practical strategy for the diagnosis of PFO. Methods. 102 patients with a high clinical suspicion for PFO had simultaneous cTCD, cTTE, and cTEE performed. The agitated saline mixed with blood was used to detect right-to-left shunt (RLS). Results. In all 102 patients, the shunt was detected at rest by cTCD in 60.78% of cases, by cTTE in 42.16%, and by cTEE in 47.06%. The positive results of all 3 techniques with Valsalva maneuver (VM) were significantly improved. cTCD showed higher pick-up rate than cTTE (98.04% vs. 89.22%; χ2=12.452, p<0.05) and the cTEE (98.04% vs. 96.08%; nonsignificant difference) in the diagnosis of PFO. Nevertheless, cTEE, compared with cTTE, underestimated shunting in 44% of patients. The diameter of both PFO entrance and exit was significantly greater in patients with a severe shunt compared with a mild shunt (2.8±1.0 mm vs. 2.0±0.7 mm, t=3.135, p<0.05; 2.2±0.7 mm vs. 1.6±0.4 mm, t=−2.582, p<0.05). There was a nonsignificant difference in tunnel length between patients with mild shunting and severe shunting(9.3±2.7 mm vs. 9.4±2.9 mm; t=1.358, p>0.05). Conclusions. The best method to diagnose PFO should be the combination of cTCD, cTTE, and cTEE. And cTCD should be applied as the first choice for screening RLS. Then, cTTE should be performed to quantify the severity of the shunt. Last but not least, cTEE should be performed to assess the morphologies of PFO when the closure is planned. The study provides for clinicians the most practical strategy for diagnosing PFO in the future. However, further trials with a large sample size are required to confirm this finding.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Demulier ◽  
B P Paelinck ◽  
I Coomans ◽  
D Hemelsoet ◽  
J De Backer ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Detailed multidimensional assessment of patent foramen ovale (PFO) size with transesophageal echocardiography (TOE) may help to determine PFO pathogenicity in cryptogenic stroke patients and may improve the procedural outcome of percutaneous PFO closure. Purpose We explored the potential additive value of Live xPlane and three-dimensional (3D) TOE anatomical PFO sizing techniques. Methods Imaging data of 45 patients who underwent a 3D TOE-assisted PFO closure were included. The two-dimensional (2D) PFO separation distance and right to left (RL) contrast shunt magnitude were retrospectively assessed at rest and during release of a Valsalva maneuver on pre‑procedural 2D TOE recordings. Peri-procedural measurements of the triangular anatomic PFO opening (base, height and area) were performed after positioning of a stiff guidewire (SW) through the PFO, using Live xPlane imaging and 3D Zoom mode. Results The peri-procedural PFO SW base was on average five times larger than the pre-procedural 2D PFO separation (median difference +/- IQR : 13 +/- 5 mm ; p &lt; 0.001), having the biggest impact on total PFO area. The width of the PFO SW base was highly variable, even for a given separation, and significantly larger in patients with a large versus a small to moderate PFO RL contrast shunt (18 versus 15 mm; p = 0.007) and in those with a spontaneous versus a provoked shunt (18 versus 14 mm; p = 0.003). Conclusion The PFO SW base, assessed by Live xPlane and 3D TOE, seems a more precise estimate of anatomical PFO size compared to the conventional 2D PFO separation distance. This new PFO dimension may be taken into account for optimization of device and patient selection strategies. Abstract P1563 Figure. 3D Zoom PFO size measurement


2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-249
Author(s):  
Lu He ◽  
Gesheng Cheng ◽  
Yajuan Du ◽  
Yushun Zhang

Percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) is widely performed to prevent recurrent stroke or transient ischemic attack in patients with cryptogenic stroke. However, the influence of different degrees of right-to-left shunting (RLS) has rarely been reported. We retrospectively evaluated the cases of 268 patients with cryptogenic stroke who underwent PFO closure at our hospital from April 2012 through April 2015. In accordance with RLS severity, we divided the patients into 2 groups: persistent RLS during normal breathing and the Valsalva maneuver (n=112) and RLS only during the Valsalva maneuver (n=156). Baseline characteristics, morphologic features, and procedural and follow-up data were reviewed. The primary endpoint was stroke or transient ischemic attack. More patients in the persistent group had multiple or bilateral ischemic lesions, as well as a larger median PFO diameter (2.5 mm [range, 1.8–3.9 mm]) than did patients in the Valsalva maneuver group (1.3 mm [range, 0.9–1.9 mm]) (P &lt;0.001). Atrial septal aneurysm was more frequent in the persistent group: 25 patients (22.3%) compared with 18 (11.5%) (P=0.018). Three patients in the persistent group had residual shunting. The annual risk of recurrent ischemic stroke was similar between groups: 0.298% (persistent) and 0.214% (Valsalva maneuver). Our findings suggest that patients with persistent RLS have more numerous severe ischemic lesions, larger PFOs, and a higher incidence of atrial septal aneurysm than do those without. Although our persistent group had a greater risk of residual shunting after PFO closure, recurrence of ischemic events did not differ significantly from that in the Valsalva maneuver group.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Stortecky ◽  
Stephan Windecker ◽  
◽  

Data from epidemiologic studies have indicated a close association between the presence of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) and cryptogenic stroke that is suggestive of paradoxical embolism as the underlying cause. Percutaneous closure of PFO has been proposed for the secondary prevention among patients suffering from paradoxical embolism. While observational data support this strategy, three randomized trials investigating percutaneous PFO closure with medical therapy have failed to detect a statistically significant reduction of the primary endpoint of recurrent ischemic cerebrovascular events, peripheral embolism, and death in the intention-to-treat analysis. Several reasons have been discussed as basis for the negative primary study results, including long recruitment rates, low number of recurrent events, and the use of different devices. In order to provide an answer to these unresolved factors, several meta-analyses have been published that have provided conflicting results. This article will review the available evidence of percutaneous PFO closure, will provide an overview on randomized clinical trials, and summarize the evidence from meta-analyses.


2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 173
Author(s):  
Joelle Kefer ◽  

Atrial septal abnormalities are common congenital lesions remaining asymptomatic until adulthood in a great number of patients. The most frequent atrial septal defects in adults are ostium secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO), both approachable by transcatheter closure using device implantation. The article reviews the different devices available, the technique of implantation and the indications for transcatheter ASD and PFO closure.


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