title: Patent foramen ovale: current pathology, pathophysiology, and clinical status.
abstract: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is experiencing increased clinical interest as a congenital cardiac lesion persisting into adulthood. It is implicated in several serious clinical syndromes, including stroke, myocardial infarction, and systemic embolism. The PFO is now amenable to percutaneous interventional therapies, and multiple novel technologies are either available or under development for lesion closure. The PFO should be better understood to take advantage of emerging percutaneous treatment options. This paper reviews PFO anatomy, pathology, pathophysiology, and clinical impact and discusses current therapeutic options.
authors.affiliation: Minneapolis Heart Institute and Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Hidehiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Renu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Virmani
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ladich
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mackey-Bojack
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Titus
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reisman
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mooney
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poulose
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans