Why the study?
PFO accompanied by an atrial septal aneurysm further increases the risk of stroke and paradoxical embolism, presenting a clinical risk in patients with venous thromboembolism.
This case highlights the successful transcatheter closure of a PFO with an atrial septal aneurysm in a patient presenting with DVT and sub-massive pulmonary embolism to prevent paradoxical embolism.
Supports feasibility of cribriform device closure for PFO with ASA in PE; leaves open efficacy for embolism prevention.
Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is an embryogenic remnant that can be found in healthy adults with no repercussions. However, it poses a risk of paradoxical embolism. In patients with known embolic stroke, the risk of recurrence is greater. A PFO can be accompanied by morphological variants such as atrial septal aneurysms (ASA). These have been shown to further increase the risk of stroke and embolism. This is a case of a patient who presented to the emergency department with deep vein thrombosis and sub-massive pulmonary embolism. An echocardiogram showed a PFO with an ASA as an incidental finding. The defect was closed with a transcatheter PFO closure device due to a high risk of paradoxical embolism.
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Panama et al. (2024) studied this question.
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