Patent foramen ovale and ascending aortic aneurysm with platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome.

Platypnea-orthodeoxia is a rare syndrome characterized by dyspnea induced by the upright position and relieved by supine position and an arterial deoxygenation increased by the upright position which improves during recumbency. Several anatomical factors that can alter the atrial anatomy and facilitate shunting through an interatrial defect have been related with this syndrome. In many cases, this syndrome has been associated with patent foramen ovale and right-to-left shunt. Rarely platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome has been described associated with an aortic aneurysm too. We present a case of platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome in a 76-year-old Italian man with patent foramen ovale and ascending aortic aneurysm.