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 ...

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 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 ...

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 “dose-response” relationship may exist between migraine and patent foramen ovale (PFO), according to a review published in Frontiers in Neurology. According to the American Heart Association, a PFO ...

This section describes safety outcomes from the published literature that the Committee considered as part of the evidence about this procedure. For more detailed information on the evidence, see the ...

Atrial septal aneurysm means that there is a bulge in the interatrial septum. It may not present with symptoms. However, it can occur alongside other heart problems that cause symptoms such as ...

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 ...

Evidence on the safety of percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale to prevent recurrent cerebral embolic events shows serious but infrequent complications. Evidence on its efficacy is adequate.

A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a hole in the heart that doesn’t close as expected after birth. Before a baby is born, they have a hole between the left and right sides of their heart. This hole, ...