overview
A patented foramen ovale (PFO) is a hole in the heart that doesn’t close as it should after birth.
During the development of the fetus, there is usually a small, flap-like opening – the foramen ovale (foh-RAY-mun oh-VAY-lee) – in the wall between the upper right and left chambers of the heart (atria). It usually closes in infancy. If the foramen ovale does not close, it is called a foramen ovale patent.
The patented foramen ovale occurs in about 25% of the normal population, but most people with the disease never know they have it. A patented foramen ovale is often discovered when testing for other problems. Finding out that you have a patent foramen ovale is, of course, worrying, but most people never need treatment for it. Patent foramen ovale Treatment in Hyderabad
symptoms
Most people with a patent foramen ovale do not know they have it because it is usually a hidden condition that is not causing any signs or symptoms.
The reasons
- Chambers and heart valves
- Ventricles and Heart Valves Open the popup dialog
- It is not known why the foramen ovale stays open in some people, although genetics can play a role.
An overview of normal heart function in a child or adult is helpful in understanding the role of the foramen ovale prior to birth.
Complications
- Illustration shows a patented foramen ovale
- Patent foramen ovale Open the popup dialog
- Usually a patent foramen ovale does not cause complications. However, some studies have found that the disorder is more common in people with certain medical conditions, such as unexplained strokes and migraines with aura.
- In most cases there are other reasons for these neurological conditions, and it is only a coincidence that the person also has a patent foramen ovale. In some cases, however, small blood clots in the heart can pass through an ovale foramen, get to the brain, and cause a stroke.
- The possible association between a foramen ovale patent and a stroke or migraine is controversial and research studies are ongoing.
- In rare cases, a patented foramen ovale can cause a large amount of blood to flow through the lungs, resulting in low levels of oxygen in the blood (hypoxemia).
- In the case of decompression sickness, which can occur while diving, an airborne blood clot can pass through a patented foramen ovale.
- In some cases, there may be other heart defects in addition to a foramen ovale patent. Patent foramen ovale Treatment in Hyderabad
