PATENT FORAMEN OVALE

Course overview

PATENT FORAMEN OVALE (PFO) OCCURS WHEN A REMNANT OF NORMAL FETAL ANATOMY ABNORMALLY PERSISTS INTO ADULTHOOD. IT REPRESENTS A BENIGN FINDING IN THE NEWBORN PERIODS. IF PFO PERSISTS INTO ADULTHOOD, IT USUALLY LEADS TO RIGHT-TO-LEFT SHUNTING OF DEOXYGENATED BLOOD, WHICH CAN BE SYMPTOMATIC OR ASYMPTOMATIC. ADDITIONALLY, IF A PFO IS PRESENT AND VENOUS THROMBOEMBOLISM (VTE) DEVELOPS, THE PFO CAN LEAD TO SHUNTING OF THE VTE INTO THE ARTERIAL CIRCULATION. THIS ACTIVITY WILL HELP CLINICIANS RECOGNIZE WHEN TO CONSIDER PATENT FORAMEN OVALE ON DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS, HOW TO MANAGE IT, AND HIGHLIGHT THE INTERPROFESSIONAL CARE TEAM'S CRITICAL ROLE IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH PATENT FORAMEN OVALE.