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Patent Foramen Ovale Closure in Special Clinical Situations: More Questions Than Answers?

Authors :
Anastasios Apostolos
Polyxeni Alexiou
Amalia Papanikolaou
Georgios Trantalis
Maria Drakopoulou
Nikolaos Ktenopoulos
Ioannis Kachrimanidis
Panayotis K. Vlachakis
Ismini Tsakiri
Grigorios Chrysostomidis
Konstantina Aggeli
Costas Tsioufis
Konstantinos Toutouzas
Source :
Life, Vol 14, Iss 6, p 706 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a remnant of the foetal circulation resulting from incomplete occlusion of the septum primum and septum secundum. Although prevalent in about 25% of the population, it mainly remains asymptomatic. However, its clinical significance in situations such as cryptogenic stroke, migraine, and decompression illness (DCI) has been well described. Recent randomised clinical trials (RCTs) have demonstrated the efficacy of percutaneous PFO closure over pharmacological therapy alone for secondary stroke prevention in carefully selected patients. Notably, these trials have excluded older patients or those with concurrent thrombophilia. Furthermore, the role of closure in other clinical conditions associated with PFO, like decompression sickness (DCS) and migraines, remains under investigation. Our review aims to summarise the existing literature regarding epidemiology, pathophysiological mechanisms, optimal management, and closure indications for these special patient groups.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20751729
Volume :
14
Issue :
6
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Life
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.7fee5cbfbb444f09b2b814b12547fd68
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/life14060706