Abstract

A 73 year old woman presented with profound central cyanosis and a history of a minor stroke. She had normal heart morphology, normal pulmonary artery pressure, and a normal coronary angiography. A patent foramen ovale (PFO) with a massive right to left shunt was demonstrated at the atrial level, with normal pulmonary venous saturations and Po₂ values. This rare, age related case of right ventricular diastolic dysfunction in a normotensive patient revealed a generous PFO allowing a pronounced right to left shunt.