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©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Cardiol. Jul 26, 2013; 5(7): 254-257
Published online Jul 26, 2013. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v5.i7.254
Published online Jul 26, 2013. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v5.i7.254
Hypoxemia without persistent right-to-left pressure gradient across a patent foramen ovale: A clinical challenge
Sadip Pant, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States
Kevin Hayes, Abhishek Deshmukh, David L Rutlen, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States
Author contributions: Pant S conceived the study, participated in its design and coordination and helped to draft the manuscript; Hayes K and Deshmukh A participated in drafting of manuscript; Deshmukh A contributed to the literature review; Rutlen DL contributed to the case analysis, and editing.
Correspondence to: Sadip Pant, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States. spant@uams.edu
Telephone: + 1-501-4059729 Fax: +1-501-4059438
Received: February 9, 2013
Revised: April 25, 2013
Accepted: June 1, 2013
Published online: July 26, 2013
Revised: April 25, 2013
Accepted: June 1, 2013
Published online: July 26, 2013
Core Tip
Core tip: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a common, yet benign entity most of the time. Rarely, it is known to play role in causation of stroke, migraine and even rarely, profound hypoxemia. We report a rare case of severe hypoxemia due to PFO where the shunting is not persistent. 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.