Patent foramen ovale and hypoxemia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
In an obese 50 year-old heavy cigarette smoker with finger clubbing, persistent hypoxemia following an episode of right heart failure proved to be caused in part by a 12% right-to-left shunt through a patent foramen ovale. In this case report, we review the mechanisms of hypoxemia in patients with such a combination of diseases and suggest that the functional opening of a patent foramen ovale is likely to occur in some 25% of patients with right heart failure.
D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D006343:Heart Septal Defects / Q000150:complications*; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology*; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000150:complications*; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*