title: Transcatheter patent foramen ovale closure: a treatment for refractory hypoxaemia.
abstract: Right-to-left intracardiac shunt through a patent foramen ovale sometimes induces a significant arterial oxygen desaturation. We describe two cases of severe hypoxia due to a patent foramen ovale, treated successfully by transcatheter closure of the intracardiac shunt. One case occurred after implantation of a cardiac assist device, the other patient presented with a platypnoeaorthodeoxia syndrome. Clinical considerations are outlined.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Cliniques Universitaires St. Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Faes
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gilles
authors.forename: Joelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kefer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D005260:Female; D054092:Foramen Ovale, Patent / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged