Patent foramen ovale is usually an incidental finding but can sometimes cause hypoxemia. Patent foramen ovale should be considered when the degree of hypoxemia is disproportionate to the underlying ...

This Journal feature begins with a case vignette highlighting a common clinical problem. Evidence supporting various strategies is then presented, followed by a review of formal guidelines, when they ...

A foramen ovale is a hole in the heart. The small hole naturally exists in babies who are still in the womb for fetal circulation. It should close soon after birth. If it doesn’t close, the condition ...

Studies to date have shown an association between the presence of patent foramen ovale and cryptogenic stroke in patients younger than 55 years of age. This association has not been established in ...

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) has been linked to ischemic strokes of undetermined cause (cryptogenic strokes). PFO—a remnant of fetal circulation when the foramen ovale does not seal after birth—can ...

A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is the persistence of an opening (the foramen ovale) in the septum between the right atrium and left atrium of the heart. In the fetus, the foramen ovale allows blood to ...

Before birth, the fetal heart has an opening called the foramen ovale between the right and left atria. This allows blood to bypass the lungs and be directed straight to the left side of the ...

A patent foramen ovale is an opening that some adults have between the top two chambers of their hearts. Everyone has this opening early in life, but it often seals during infancy. In some people, ...

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is the most common congenital heart abnormality of fetal origin and is present in approximately ∼25% of the worldwide adult population. PFO is the consequence of failed ...