Open AccessDetecting a patent foramen ovale by transcranial doppler sonography (tcd)
Author(s) -
М. Salaschek,
Rasmus Winkel
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
nevrologičeskij vestnik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2304-3067
pISSN - 1027-4898
DOI - 10.17816/nb79645
Subject(s) - patent foramen ovale , paradoxical embolism , medicine , transcranial doppler , shunt (medical) , cerebral embolism , right to left shunt , cardiology , radiology , air embolism , autopsy , doppler sonography , contrast medium , embolism , complication , percutaneous
In patients with cerebral ischemia of unknown origin, paradoxical embolism must be considered as one of the possible causes, if there is an abnormal right-to- left shunt. The most likely site of transmission is a persisting patent foramen ovale (PFO), which is found in approximately 30% of adult persons in autopsy studies. Using transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) and an agitated saline solution as an inexpensive and readily available contrast medium, probably all clinically important right-to-left shunts can be detected. In our department we examined 215 patients within the last 5 years, 30% of which had an abnormal right-to-left shunt with insignificant difference between 10 and 69 years of age.