Gianluca Rigatelli, Federico Ronco
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: A comprehensive review of the main concepts about patent foramen ovale (PFO) management is offered. RECENT FINDINGS: PFO is a common, usually benign, anatomical variant that in the presence of a discrete right-to-left shunt and other predisposing factors (Eustachian valve/Chiari network, atrial septal aneurysm, and coagulation cascade abnormalities) may play an important role in the patho-physiology of paradoxical embolism at different levels (cryptogenic stroke, peripheral embolism, coronary embolism, etc...
September 2010: Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine