Patent foramen ovale MRI

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editors-In-Chief: Ifeoma Odukwe, M.D. [2], Priyamvada Singh, M.B.B.S. [3], Kristin Feeney, B.S. [4]

Overview

Although not commmon, contrast-enhanced MRI is may be helpful in diagnosing patent foramen ovale. PFO is diagnosed with the presence of an early contrast enhancement in the left atrium due to intracardiac right-to-left shunting before the contrast agent reaches the pulmonary veins.

Contrast-enhanced MRI is not commonly used but may be helpful in the diagnosis of patent foramen ovale. The presence of an early contrast enhancement due to intracardiac right-to-left shunting in the left atrium before the contrast agent reaches the pulmonary veins is diagnostic of patent foramen ovale.^[1]
Grading of PFO using contrast-enhanced MRI include:^[1]

Grade 0: No contrast enhancement in the left atrium before the contrast agent reached the pulmonary veins.
Grade 1: Only slight contrast enhancement close to the atrial septum without enhancement of the entire left atrium before the contrast agent reached the pulmonary veins.
Grade 2: Only slight contrast enhancement in the left atrium before the contrast agent reached the pulmonary veins.
Grade 3: Bright contrast enhancement in the left atrium before the contrast agent reached the pulmonary veins.

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Mohrs, Oliver K.; Petersen, Steffen E.; Erkapic, Damir; Rubel, Christine; Schräder, Rainer; Nowak, Bernd; Fach, W. Andreas; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Voigtlaender, Thomas (2005). “Diagnosis of Patent Foramen Ovale Using Contrast-Enhanced Dynamic MRI: A Pilot Study”. American Journal of Roentgenology. 184 (1): 234–240. doi:10.2214/ajr.184.1.01840234. ISSN 0361-803X.