Key result
Conservative medical management was successfully chosen for a 61-year-old male incidentally diagnosed with a hemodynamically insignificant patent foramen ovale during evaluation for stable angina.
Why the study?
There is no unified approach to risk stratification of thromboembolic events in PFO and discrepancies in determining optimal treatment strategies in adults.
Case Report (n=1)
An incidentally found, asymptomatic patent foramen ovale in an elderly patient lacking risk factors for paradoxical embolism is best managed conservatively rather than via transcatheter closure.
Penitent foramen ovale (PFO) is a structural heart abnormality with a frequency in the general population of ~27;3%; which consists of interatrial communication and related syndromes. It is often clinically asymptomatic and can be a diagnostic finding or characterized by thromboembolic events at the onset; most often ischemic stroke; transient ischemic attack; as a result of paradoxical embolism. Today; there is no doubt about the importance of shunting through the PFO in the pathogenesis of paradoxical embolism. However; there is still no unified approach to risk stratification of thromboembolic events in PFO. In addition; there are still discrepancies in determining the optimal treatment strategy for PFO in adults. A personalized approach to each patient with PFO depends on age; hemodynamic significance; shunting direction; clinical performance; and risk of cardioembolic events.
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Soldatova et al. (2025) conducted a case report in Patent foramen ovale, Stable angina (n=1). Conservative medical management was evaluated. Conservative medical management was successfully chosen for a 61-year-old male incidentally diagnosed with a hemodynamically insignificant patent foramen ovale during evaluation for stable angina.
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