Patent foramen ovale and migraine--bringing closure to the subject

There is increasing interest in the relationship between migraine and patent foramen ovale (PFO). PFO is more common in migraineurs with aura, and migraine with aura is more prevalent in patients with PFO. Retrospective analyses of PFO closure for stroke prevention and decompression illness in divers have suggested that migraineurs with and without aura may derive significant benefit from PFO closure, but to date no prospective, randomized, sham-controlled study to confirm this has been completed. Herein we review published data regarding the relationship between migraine and PFO and discuss the rationale, justification, and important factors to consider in the conduct of prospective, controlled, clinical trials designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous device closure of PFO for migraine prevention.     

Patent foramen ovale

Patent foramen ovale is incriminated in patients with cryptogenic stroke; however, concrete evidence that closure of patent foramen ovale using various devices is superior to continued medical therapy is not yet available. Controlled randomized trials are well underway to address this issue.     

Patent foramen ovale

Patent foramen ovale is incriminated in patients with cryptogenic stroke; however, concrete evidence that closure of patent foramen ovale using various devices is superior to continued medical therapy is not yet available. Controlled randomized trials are well underway to address this issue.     

Intracardiac echocardiographic guidance during transcatheter device closure of atrial septal defect and patent foramen ovale

OBJECTIVES: To describe our experience with intracardiac echocardiographic (ICE) guidance during transcatheter device closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) and to describe a detailed stepwise approach for performing ICE examinations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the ICE results of all patients who underwent transcatheter device closure of ASD/PFO at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, between October 2000 and November 2002. Conscious sedation was used, and all ICE studies were performed using a diagnostic ultrasound catheter. RESULTS: Ninety-four patients (47 male; median age, 51 years [range, 17-81 years]) underwent ICE during transcatheter device closure of ASD/PFO. Total procedure time was 128 minutes (range, 27-320 minutes). ICE identified a previously unrecognized anatomical diagnosis in 32 of 94 patients. An additional ASD or PFO was found in 16 patients; a redundant atrial septum or an atrial septal aneurysm was found in 12 patients. There were few ICE complications (4%): 3 patients developed atrial fibrillation, and 1 developed supraventricular tachycardia; of these 4, 2 resolved spontaneously, and 2 required cardioversion with no recurrence. CONCLUSION: ICE provides anatomical detail of ASD/PFO and cardiac structures facilitating congenital cardiac interventional procedures. ICE eliminates major drawbacks related to the use of transesophageal echocardiographic guidance for transcatheter device closure of ASD/PFO, specifically problems related to airway management. Finally, ICE gives the interventional cardiologist the ability to control all aspects of imaging without relying on additional echocardiographic support. We believe that ICE should be considered the preferred imaging technique for guidance of transcatheter device closure of ASD/PFO in adults and larger pediatric patients.     

Patent foramen ovale closure: past,present and future

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a common congenital abnormality that has been implicated in a number of disease processes, including cryptogenic stroke and migraine headaches. Medical treatment for these processes is often considered inadequate and mechanical closure of the PFO is an attractive, albeit controversial, alternative. PFO closure has become common practice in many centers, although recent guidelines limit its indication to certain subsets of patients. This review first focuses on the anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of PFO, and then reviews the currently available and experimental devices for PFO closure, as well as the present clinical data pertaining to them. Finally, we present our perspective of the PFO closure, with regard to its current use and future directions.     

Patent foramen ovale closure: past, present and future

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a common congenital abnormality that has been implicated in a number of disease processes, including cryptogenic stroke and migraine headaches. Medical treatment for these processes is often considered inadequate and mechanical closure of the PFO is an attractive, albeit controversial, alternative. PFO closure has become common practice in many centers, although recent guidelines limit its indication to certain subsets of patients. This review first focuses on the anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of PFO, and then reviews the currently available and experimental devices for PFO closure, as well as the present clinical data pertaining to them. Finally, we present our perspective of the PFO closure, with regard to its current use and future directions.     

Patent foramen ovale and stroke

A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a frequent remnant of embryological development with clinical importance in thromboembolism, paradoxical embolism, stroke, platypnea-orthodeoxia, decompression sickness, and migraine headache. The proposed mechanisms of stroke with PFO include paradoxical embolization, in situ thrombosis within the canal of the PFO, associated atrial arrhythmias, and concomitant hypercoagulable states. Prospective trials using aspirin treatment to reduce recurrent stroke showed a significant recurrence of neurologic events in patients with a PFO and atrial septal aneurysm. Use of warfarin anticoagulation does not further reduce recurrent stroke rates compared with antiplatelet therapy. Both surgical and catheter-based modes of closure have been shown to decrease the rate of subsequent embolic events substantially. Successful closure, defined by transesophageal echocardiography, appears to predict freedom from subsequent embolic events. To our knowledge, no randomized trials comparing anticoagulation with surgical or catheter-based closure have been performed.     

Patent foramen ovale and migraine

Results from several observational studies indicate an association between migraine and patent foramen ovale (PFO). Several biological mechanisms have been proposed to explain this link, including shared genetic inheritance. However, there is currently insufficient evidence to support a causal link between PFO and migraine. Although the results of uncontrolled observational studies suggest the PFO closure may have a beneficial effect on migraine frequency, a large randomized trial failed to support such a conclusion. Until there is more evidence from ongoing large controlled trials, PFO closure should not be performed in clinical practice for the prophylaxis of migraine.     

超声心动图在卵圆孔未闭封堵中的应用及卵圆孔未闭分流方向的探讨

目的探讨超声心动图在卵圆孔未闭(PFO)治疗中的应用价值.方法 7例封堵治疗PFO患者,术前经胸(TTE)或经食管超声心动图(TEE)明确PFO诊断,术中TTE和X线引导监护,术后TTE随访;并对157例PFO分流方向进行统计分析.结果 7例PFO封堵患者右向左分流的确诊方法:TTE 1例,TEE 4例,TTE或TEE 右心声学造影各1例.术后TTE随访PFO分流消失.157例TTE诊断的PFO以左向右分流表现为主,少数右向左分流和双向分流者多伴其他心脏结构和功能改变.结论超声心动图在PFO封堵术中具有多方面重要作用.TEE及声学造影诊断PFO右向左分流的敏感性高于单纯TTE.常规TTE检查PFO多表现为左向右分流,而非理论定义的右向左分流.     

Patent foramen ovale and cryptogenic stroke.

Strokes are the leading cause of long-term, serious disability. A variety of identifiable risk factors exists for the development of a stroke. Individuals who had no definite and clearly identifiable cause for a stroke experience a cryptogenic stroke. The presence of a patent foramen ovale, a flaplike opening of the atrial septum between the septum primum and secundum, contributes to a 40% to 56% incidence of a cryptogenic stroke. This article reviews the pathophysiology of a patent foramen ovale, the diagnostic tests, and nurse's awareness of the potential etiology of a stroke in a younger individual.     

Patent foramen ovale as lifesaving purging valve.

Patent foramen ovale is considered as a potential risk factor for stroke owing to paradoxic embolism, leading to the question "to close or not to close the patent foramen ovale". We report a 26-year-old woman with chest pain, dyspnoea, sudden severe pain in both legs and paraplegia. Thoracic and abdominal computed tomography revealed massive pulmonary embolism and complete obstruction of the abdominal aorta. Interventional removal of the aortic thrombus was undertaken using the Fogarty catheter technique via the femoral arterial approach. As a result of worsening of cardiopulmonary function during the procedure, additional local thrombolysis, with a total of 50 mg recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, and fragmentation of the thrombus in the right pulmonary artery were performed via a femoral vein approach. Ultrasound studies revealed a patent foramen ovale of about 12 mm diameter with a significant right to left shunt. Under favourable conditions, a patent foramen ovale may allow the escape of a thrombus, sufficient to cause a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism, into the arterial system, where it can be removed by interventional manoeuvres.     

经胸超声心动图在卵圆孔未闭封堵术中的应用

目的 探讨经胸超声心动图（TFE）在卵圆孔未闭（PFO）封堵术中的应用价值。方法回顾性分析43例PFO患者在封堵术前、术中及术后的TTE图像特征。结果 TTE在术前可清晰显示PFO的大小、形态和分流方向,能帮助介入医师选择合适的封堵器;术中可准确地评价PFO患者封堵器的位置、形态及其与周边的临近结构关系;术后可有效地监控PFO患者预后情况。结论 TTE在PFO封堵术前确诊、术中引导、监护及术后随访均具有重要的作用。