Patent foramen ovale risk factors

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

There are no established risk factors for patent foramen ovale but the presence of congenital heart disease may be associated with an open foramen ovale.

Risk Factors

Anatomical features associated with increased risk of paradoxical embolism in patients with patent foramen ovale include large right-to-left shunt, atrial septal aneurysm, long PFO tunnel, and the presence of a Eustachian valve.^[1]

References

↑ Saver JL, Mattle HP, Thaler D. Patent Foramen Ovale Closure Versus Medical Therapy for Cryptogenic Ischemic Stroke: A Topical Review. Stroke. 2018 Jun;49(6):1541-1548. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.117.018153. Epub 2018 May 14. PMID: 29760277.

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[1] Saver JL, Mattle HP, Thaler D. Patent Foramen Ovale Closure Versus Medical Therapy for Cryptogenic Ischemic Stroke: A Topical Review. Stroke. 2018 Jun;49(6):1541-1548. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.117.018153. Epub 2018 May 14. PMID: 29760277.

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