• F Jacopi, E Varani, F Tani, M Balducelli, A M Ponzo, and A Maresta.
• Servizio di Cardiologia, Ospedale per gli Infermi, Faenza.
• G Ital Cardiol. 1995 Nov 1; 25 (11): 1407-14.

BackgroundContrast echocardiography during the decompression phase of the Valsalva manoeuvre in course of transesophageal echo study is the ideal method to identify patent foramen ovale.MethodsIn order to evaluate the incidence of patent foramen ovale in patients with different cardiac diseases we performed contrast injection in 211 consecutive pts submitted to TEE (Transesophageal Echocardiography) in our laboratory between march 1991 and march 1993.ResultsFiftythree of 211 pts (25%) presented a patent foramen ovale. The incidence in the different cardiac diseases was as follows: 0% in rheumatic mitral disease, 23% in aortic valve disease, 17% in mitral and/or aortic valve prosthesis, 29% in congenital heart disease other than interatrial septal defect, 44% in mitral valve prolapse and 92% in atrial septal aneurysm.ConclusionsThis study indicates that patent foramen ovale is a common finding in different cardiac pathologies and frequent in mitral valve prolapse and even more in atrial septal aneurysm. In case of peripheral embolism of likely cardiac origin, the patency of the foramen ovale must be recognized, especially when these two latter cardiac anomalies are identified.

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