Alice Gallo de Moraes1, Abhay Vakil1, Teng Moua2. 1. Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. 2. Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. Electronic address: Moua.teng@mayo.edu.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Little is known about the presence of patent foramen ovale in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. While there is suspected worsening of hypoxemia confounding assessment and management of pulmonary hypertension, as well as possible increased morbidity from paradoxical emboli, there may be theoretical relief of worsening right-sided pressures by the same mechanism of right-to-left shunting. METHODS: Retrospective review of consecutive patients diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (WHO Group 1) via right heart catheterization, from 1998 to 2010. All patients also underwent a four chamber transthoracic echocardiogram with agitated saline contrast for the evaluation of patent foramen ovale. Primary clinical data was collected and compared between patients with and without patent foramen ovale along with univariable and multivariable predictors of long term survival. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty five patients were included in the study, 42 with patent foramen ovale (27%). Patients with patent foramen ovale were younger at pulmonary arterial hypertension diagnosis and trended towards higher right ventricular systolic pressures on echocardiography and mean pulmonary arterial pressures by right heart catheterization. Predictors of mortality included age, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, and severe hypoxemia. Only diffusing capacity and age were predictive of mortality after adjustment for a priori covariables. CONCLUSION: Patent foramen ovale is seen in a quarter of patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and associated with increased prevalence of severe hypoxemia but had no effect on long term survival.
INTRODUCTION: Little is known about the presence of patent foramen ovale in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. While there is suspected worsening of hypoxemia confounding assessment and management of pulmonary hypertension, as well as possible increased morbidity from paradoxical emboli, there may be theoretical relief of worsening right-sided pressures by the same mechanism of right-to-left shunting. METHODS: Retrospective review of consecutive patients diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (WHO Group 1) via right heart catheterization, from 1998 to 2010. All patients also underwent a four chamber transthoracic echocardiogram with agitated saline contrast for the evaluation of patent foramen ovale. Primary clinical data was collected and compared between patients with and without patent foramen ovale along with univariable and multivariable predictors of long term survival. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty five patients were included in the study, 42 with patent foramen ovale (27%). Patients with patent foramen ovale were younger at pulmonary arterial hypertension diagnosis and trended towards higher right ventricular systolic pressures on echocardiography and mean pulmonary arterial pressures by right heart catheterization. Predictors of mortality included age, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, and severe hypoxemia. Only diffusing capacity and age were predictive of mortality after adjustment for a priori covariables. CONCLUSION:Patent foramen ovale is seen in a quarter of patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and associated with increased prevalence of severe hypoxemia but had no effect on long term survival.
Authors: Arcangelo F Carta; Mona Lichtblau; Charlotte Berlier; Stéphanie Saxer; Simon R Schneider; Esther I Schwarz; Michael Furian; Konrad E Bloch; Silvia Ulrich Journal: Front Med (Lausanne) Date: 2022-02-11