title: Severe hypoxemia due to shunting through a patent foramen ovale: a correctable complication of right ventricular infarction.
abstract: A patient with recent inferior myocardial infarction with right ventricular involvement developed severe hypoxemia unresponsive to 100% oxygen. Contrast two-dimensional echocardiography revealed right to left shunting through an aneurysmal fossa ovalis with a patent foramen ovale. This was confirmed by cardiac catheterization. Surgical closure of the defect was probably life-saving. This case report illustrates that right to left shunting through a foramen ovale should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypoxemia in patients presenting with inferior myocardial infarction.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D005260:Female; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology