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Case Reports
Orthodeoxia and platypnea secondary to a patent foramen ovale despite normal right-sided cardiac pressures.
- M Varkul, T Robinson, E Ng, and R Hyland.
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Can. Respir. J. 2001 Mar 1;8(2):105-7.
AbstractNumerous cases of orthodeoxia and platypnea have been reported. Some have been found to be due to intracardiac shunts despite normal intracardiac pressures. In the case presented, a 79-year-old woman was noted to have orthodeoxia and platypnea secondary to a patent foramen ovale (PFO) despite normal intracardiac pressures. She recovered after closure of the PFO. The authors postulate that recent vertebral fractures and subsequent kyphosis, as well as a dilated thoracic aorta, altered intrathoracic relationships and may have led to a stream of venous return being directed across the PFO in the upright position, despite normal intracardiac pressures.
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