1. Follow-up of residual shunt after patent foramen ovale closure.
- Author
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Orzan F, Liboni W, Bonzano A, Molinari F, Ribezzo M, Rebaudengo N, Grippi G, and Negri E
- Subjects
- Adult, Contrast Media, Echocardiography, Transesophageal, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Foramen Ovale, Patent surgery, Humans, Ischemic Attack, Transient surgery, Male, Middle Aged, Sensitivity and Specificity, Stroke surgery, Treatment Outcome, Foramen Ovale, Patent diagnostic imaging, Ischemic Attack, Transient diagnostic imaging, Stroke diagnostic imaging, Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial methods
- Abstract
Objectives: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is usually recommended in the evaluation of the patent foramen ovale (PFO). Our goal is to confirm the efficacy of contrast-enhanced transcranial Doppler (ce-TCD) in detecting residual significant right-to-left shunts (RLS) after PFO percutaneous closure., Materials and Methods: Sixty-eight patients with a previous transient ischemic attack, stroke and a large PFO were investigated for residual RLS after percutaneous closure., Results: Assuming TEE as the gold standard, the sensitivity and negative predictive value of ce-TCD was 100%, whereas the specificity was 75.8% and the positive predictive value was 28%., Conclusions: ce-TCD appears to be the preferable technique to identify subjects with significant residual shunts after percutaneous closure of a PFO. In follow-up, if ce-TCD is negative, no further examination may be necessary; whereas if ce-TCD shows a residual shunt, it is advisable to perform a TEE investigation., (Copyright © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Munksgaard.)
- Published
- 2010
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