Particular Situations of Paradoxical Embolism - Case Presentations

Abstract

Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is a congenital anomaly with a prevalence of 25% in the general population and approximately 55% in patients with cryptogenic stroke under the age of 55 years. We present two cases of patients with PFO discovered accidentally as a result of thromboembolic complications. The first patient, elderly with multiple risk factors for hypercoagulability was hospitalised with left upper limb ischemia secondary to thromboembolism through a previously silent PFO. The treatment included urgent thrombo-embolectomy and post-operative anticoagulation. In contrast, the second patient, a 33-year-old men with motor deficits of the left limbs, appeared without an apparent cause. Imaging examinations confirmed ischemic stroke without the presence of common aetiology. The transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) revealed a PFO. The patient was sent to percutaneous closure with good evolution.