title: Hypoxemia without persistent right-to-left pressure gradient across a patent foramen ovale: A clinical challenge.
abstract: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure for systemic hypoxemia is controversial. The first systematic, albeit retrospective, study was recently presented which showed good procedural and clinical success for PFO closure for this indication. We present a case of acute right to left intra-cardiac shunt across PFO where the shunting is not persistent. Hence making a decision on PFO closure based on the aforementioned promising trial may not have been the right decision for the patient. This case highlights that the decision on PFO closure for such indication needs to be individualized. We also review the sparse literature on PFO closure for this indication and discuss how the decision making for such indication needs to be individualized.
authors.affiliation: Sadip Pant, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States.
authors.forename: Sadip
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pant
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: Abhishek
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deshmukh
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Rutlen
keywords: Atrial septal defect; Hypoxemia; Patent foramen ovale; Pulmonary embolism; Right-to-left shunt; Shunt closure