The effect of elevated right atrial pressure due to pulmonary emboli on detection of patent foramen ovale and potential paradoxical embolus

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gemma A Figtree ◽  
Nala Thiruvallapan ◽  
John Brereton ◽  
David Whalley ◽  
Geoffrey Tofler
Author(s):  
Parinita Dherange ◽  
Nelson Telles ◽  
Kalgi Modi

Abstract Background Carcinoid heart disease is present in approximately 20% of the patients with carcinoid syndrome and is associated with poor prognosis. It usually manifests with right-sided valvular involvement including tricuspid insufficiency and pulmonary stenosis. Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is present in approximately 50% of the patients with carcinoid heart disease which is twice higher than the general population. Right-to-left shunting through a PFO can occur either due to higher right atrial pressure than left (pressure-driven) or when the venous flow is directed towards the PFO (flow-driven) in the setting of normal intracardiac pressures. We report a rare case of flow-driven right-to-left atrial shunting via PFO in a patient with carcinoid heart disease. Case summary A 54-year-old male with a metastatic neuroendocrine tumour to liver presented with progressive shortness of breath for 5 months. Patient was found to be hypoxic with oxygen saturation of 78% and examination revealed a holosystolic murmur. Arterial blood gas showed oxygen tension of 43 mmHg. A transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiogram showed aneurysmal inter-atrial septum with a PFO, severe tricuspid regurgitation directed anteriorly towards the inter-atrial septum leading to a marked right-to-left shunt. Right heart catheterization showed right atrial pressure of 8 mmHg, mean pulmonary artery pressure of 12 mmHg, and normal oxygen saturations in the right atrium, right ventricle, and pulmonary arteries. The patient then underwent closure of the PFO along with tricuspid valve and pulmonary valve replacement at an experienced cardiovascular surgical centre and has been asymptomatic since. Conclusion Right-to-left shunting through a PFO in patients with normal right atrial pressure can be successfully treated with closure of the PFO. Thus, understanding the mechanism of intracardiac shunts is important to accurately diagnose and treat this rare and fatal condition.


CHEST Journal ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 134 (4) ◽  
pp. 15C
Author(s):  
Saleh Alazemi ◽  
Assaf Tzur ◽  
Diana Morla ◽  
Juan Carlos Londono ◽  
Alejandro D. Chediak

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 264-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Klein ◽  
Todd L. Kiefer ◽  
Eric J. Velazquez

Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome is a rare disease defined by dyspnea and deoxygenation, induced by an upright position, and relieved by recumbency. Causes include shunting through a patent foramen ovale and pulmonary arteriovenous malformations. A 79-year-old woman experienced 2 syncopal episodes at rest and presented at another hospital. In the emergency department, she was hypoxic, needing 6 L/min of oxygen. Her chest radiograph showed nothing unusual. Transthoracic echocardiograms with saline microcavitation evaluation were mildly positive early after agitated-saline administration, suggesting intracardiac shunting. She was then transferred to our center. Right-sided heart catheterization revealed no oximetric evidence of intracardiac shunting while the patient was supine and had a low right atrial pressure. However, her oxygen saturation dropped to 78% when she sat up. Repeat transthoracic echocardiography while sitting revealed a dramatically positive early saline microcavitation-uptake into the left side of the heart. Transesophageal echocardiograms showed a patent foramen ovale, with right-to-left shunting highly dependent upon body position. The patient underwent successful percutaneous patent foramen ovale closure, and her oxygen supplementation was suspended. In patients with unexplained or transient hypoxemia in which a cardiac cause is suspected, it is important to evaluate shunting in both the recumbent and upright positions. In this syndrome, elevated right atrial pressure is not necessary for significant right-to-left shunting. Percutaneous closure, if feasible, is first-line therapy in these patients.


Author(s):  
Jason Chiang ◽  
Sipan Mathevosian ◽  
Jamil Aboulhosn ◽  
John M Moriarty

AbstractIn this technical case report, we describe a 41-year-old female with a history of breast cancer who was found to have a right atrial clot attached to the tip of her Port-A-Cath. During transthoracic echocardiography to evaluate her clot, she was also noted to also have a patent foramen ovale. The decision was made to perform a simultaneous right atrial endovascular aspiration thrombectomy and patent foramen ovale closure. To minimize the risk for paradoxical embolus during clot manipulation, an intravascular embolic neuroprotection device was deployed. After the procedure, it was noted on visual inspection that the device filter contained several embolic fragments. The presence of macroscopic embolic fragments in the filter baskets highlights the role of prophylactic embolic protection when performing cardiac interventions in the setting of a patent foramen ovale, particularly in the presence of a right atrial thrombus or mass.


1985 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 839-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Austin R. T. Colohan ◽  
Nancy A. K. Perkins ◽  
Robert F. Bedford ◽  
John A. Jane

✓ Paradoxical cerebral air embolism has been described in neurosurgical operations performed on patients in the seated position. This problem is thought to result most often from a probe-patent foramen ovale. It has been postulated that right atrial pressure exceeds left atrial pressure when paradoxical air embolism occurs. A study is described in which intravenous fluid loading is compared with routine fluid management in 20 patients undergoing neurosurgical operations in the seated position. In order to investigate if intravenous fluid loading would decrease the risk of paradoxical air embolism during neurosurgical operations on seated patients, 20 patients were assigned randomly to two groups: 10 patients received normal intravenous fluid replacement (1220 ± 102 ml), and 10 received augmented fluid replacement (2800 ± 400 ml). Right atrial and pulmonary capillary pressures were monitored for evidence of an interatrial pressure gradient that would force air emboli from the right atrium into the left atrium via a probe-patent foramen ovale. Four of 10 patients receiving routine fluid administration developed right atrial pressure greater than pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (and hence, indirectly, greater than left atrial pressure), whereas none of the 10 patients with augmented fluid loading developed this condition (p = 0.04). The authors conclude that augmented intravenous fluid loading may be effective in preventing systemic air embolism during neurosurgical operations performed on patients in the seated position.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sneha R. Gadi ◽  
Benjamin K. Ruth ◽  
Alan Johnson ◽  
Sula Mazimba ◽  
Younghoon Kwon

Inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter and respirophasic variation are commonly used echocardiographic indices to estimate right atrial pressure. While dilatation of the IVC and reduced collapsibility have traditionally been associated with elevated right heart filling pressures, the significance of isolated IVC dilatation in the absence of raised filling pressures remains poorly understood. We present a case of an asymptomatic 28-year-old male incidentally found to have IVC dilatation, reduced inspiratory collapse, and normal right heart pressures.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taku Omori ◽  
Goki Uno ◽  
Shunsuke Shimada ◽  
Florian Rader ◽  
Robert J. Siegel ◽  
...  

Background: A new grading of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) beyond severe has been proposed. However, few studies assessing the validity of such a new grading scheme of TR have been conducted. Therefore, we evaluated associations of TR grades beyond severe with patient outcome and hemodynamics. Methods: We retrospectively studied patients who underwent 2-dimensional echocardiography and were diagnosed with severe TR between January 2014 and December 2015. According to the vena contracta width of TR (VC), the patients were classified into 2 groups: VC under 14 mm (VC<14 mm) and VC 14 mm or greater (VC≥14 mm). Hemodynamic parameters were estimated by echocardiography and were obtained by right heart catheterization. Cardiovascular events were defined as cardiovascular death or admission for heart failure. Results: A total of 679 patients (mean 72±17 years, 56% women) were included. During follow-up (median, 158 days; range, 29–891), 210 patients experienced cardiovascular events. By multivariate analysis, VC≥14 mm and left ventricular ejection fraction were independent predictors of cardiovascular events (hazard ratio, 1.57 [1.06–2.33]; hazard ratio, 0.99 [0.98–0.99], respectively). Patients with VC≥14 mm had significantly lower cardiac index (median, 1.8 versus 2.1 L/min per m 2 , P =0.001) and a higher prevalence of right atrial pressure 15 mm Hg (74% versus 60%, P <0.001) on echocardiography. Also, right heart catheterization confirmed higher right atrial pressure in patients with VC≥14 mm than those with VC<14 mm (16±8 versus 12±6 mm Hg, P =0.004). The new subset classification developed by cardiac index and right atrial pressure both on echocardiography predicted cardiovascular events (Log-rank P <0.001). Conclusions: The relationship of VC≥14 mm to adverse outcome and poor hemodynamics showed the clinical relevance and need of a new grading system beyond severe. The new hemodynamic subset classification provides additional prognostic value for cardiovascular events in patients with severe TR.


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