To close or not to close: contemporary indications for patent foramen ovale closure.
Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a common congenital cardiac abnormality and that has been associated with several disease processes including transient ischemic attacks (TIA), stroke, migraine headaches with aura, decompression sickness, platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome, and shunt induced cyanosis. Controversy exists regarding closure of PFO as a therapeutic treatment modality for these disease processes. This review addresses the contemporary clinical indications for PFO closure. Areas covered: We conducted a comprehensive literature search of contemporary research studies focusing on randomized trials and meta-analyses comparing medical therapy and device closure of PFOs for the treatment of PFO associated clinical syndromes. We synthesized this literature into a review addressing indications for PFO closure in stroke, TIA, migraine headaches with aura, decompression sickness, platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome, and shunt induced cyanosis. Expert commentary: Because in many PFO associated conditions it can be difficult to determine the degree to which the PFO is a causative factor in the disease process, we recommend a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation to exclude other obvious etiologies of PFO associated conditions before implicating the PFO and proceeding with closure. However in the properly selected patient population there is growing clinical experience and experimental evidence suggesting that closure of PFO is a safe and effective treatment modality.
a Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology , University of California, San Francisco , San Francisco , CA , USA.
Lucas S
LS
Zier
b CardioVascular Center Frankfurt CVC , Frankfurt , Germany.|c Anglia Ruskin University , Cambridge and Chelmsford , UK.
Horst
H
Sievert
a Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology , University of California, San Francisco , San Francisco , CA , USA.|d Adult Congenital Heart Disease Unit , Central Manchester University Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust , Manchester , UK.
Vaikom S
VS
Mahadevan
D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D054092:Foramen Ovale, Patent / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D055989:Septal Occluder Device; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000925:Anticoagulants; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors
Patent foramen ovale; closure devices; decompression sickness; migraine headache; platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome; stroke; transient ischemic attack; venous thromboembolism