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PubMed1994

Radiologic evaluation of the jugular foramen. Anatomy, vascular variants, anomalies, and tumors.

The jugular foramen varies considerably in size and shape, along with the jugular vein. The foramen is traversed by several vessels and nerves. CT, in various section planes, demonstrates the bone anatomy optimally, whereas MR (including MR angiography) reveals the vascular and soft tissue structures to best advantage. A diverse group of vascular anomalies originate in the foramen and adjacent carotid canal that must be differentiated from tumors. The most common tumor within the jugular foramen is the hypervascular glomus jugulare tumor followed by neurogenic tumors, predominantly the schwannoma. Less common lesions comprise meningioma, hemangiopericytoma, chondrosarcoma, and plasmacytoma. Metastases and malignant tumors arising in adjacent anatomic structures (nasopharynx, parotid, and temporal bone), in advanced stages, may spread to the jugular foramen. Endolymphatic sac tumors arise at the posterior medial aspect of the petrous bone and frequently extend to the jugular foramen. Irregular lytic bone destruction, with enlargement and hypervascularity, demonstrated by CT and MR imaging, are characteristic for glomus jugulare tumors. Benign tumors, most commonly the jugular foramen schwannoma, display an enlarged jugular foramen with well-defined bone margins.

Bone Diseases↗

PubMed1991

Effects of age and gender on the location and orientation of the foramen magnum in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

Endocasts from 378 rhesus macaque skulls from the Cayo Santiago skeletal collection were measured to determine the effects of age and gender on the position and orientation of the foramen magnum. The foramen magnum migrates from a rostral to a caudal position and its angle changes during postnatal development. The angles and relative positions of the foramen magnum are similar for both genders of infants and for both genders of adults. However, analyses of linear response and plateau (LRP) functions reveal significant differences between males and females in the timing of reorientation of the angle and migration of the foramen magnum. The mean adult angle and relative position of the foramen magnum are reached by 4.7 years in females, but they do not achieve their adult values until 7.1 years in males. A similar pattern is observed for the brainstem region of the basicranium. Mean adult lengths of the brainstem region are reached at 5.2 years in females and 7.1 years in males. The relationships between cranial capacity, the growth pattern of the brainstem, and the pattern of change for the angle and the relative position of the foramen magnum are examined. Quantification of the effects of age and gender on the location of the foramen magnum in a large sample of endocasts from one species of higher primate has potential implications for research on human development, and for interpretation of juvenile specimens in the hominid fossil record.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1982

An analysis of the variations in position of the greater palatine foramen in the adult human skull.

Three hundred dry, adult human skulls, of East Indian ethnic background, and homogenous in arch form and full eruption of third molars, were examined to measure the location of the greater palatine foramen. The greater palatine foramen was found consistently to lie 1.5 cm from the palatal midline and 0.19 cm from the posterior border of the hard palate. This relationship is suggested as a more accurate method of locating the foramen clinically. The usually accepted description (opposite the second molar) of the relative position of the greater palatine foramen to the upper teeth held in only 9.7% of the skulls studied. This study shows the most common position of the foramen to be opposite or distal to the third molar (57%). The direction of opening of the foramen into the oral cavity was observed to be in an inferior or vertical direction in 247 (82%) of the 300 skulls; in 53 (18%) of the skulls the direction was anterior or horizontal. A bony projection, similar to the mandibular lingula, was observed extending from the posterior margin of the foramen in 95 (16%) of the 600 separate foramina examined. The bilateral symmetry between the sides of the skulls studied was remarkable.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Femoral vein delivery of contrast medium enhances transthoracic echocardiographic detection of patent foramen ovale.

OBJECTIVES: We postulated that femoral vein delivery of contrast medium because of streaming, might enhance precordial echocardiographic detection of patent foramen ovale. BACKGROUND: Although precordial contrast echocardiography is widely used to diagnose patent foramen ovale, this method is limited by poor sensitivity. Previous investigators have demonstrated enhanced detection of atrial defects by the dye-dilution technique after delivery of contrast medium into the inferior rather than the superior vena cava. METHODS: Transthoracic contrast examinations were performed in a randomly selected group of 70 patients (without previous history of cerebral or systemic embolus) undergoing cardiac catheterization. Paired contrast agent injections (10 ml dextrose in water/0.25 ml air) were administered from an upper extremity vein and femoral vein in each patient during spontaneous respiration, cough and Valsalva maneuvers. Studies were interpreted by an experienced echocardiographer unaware of the sequence and site of injections. Positive studies were semiquantitatively graded from +1 (minimal left ventricular opacification) to +4 (intense left ventricular opacification). Catheterization and echocardiographic assessment of patent foramen ovale were compared in 21 subjects. RESULTS: Patent foramen ovale was detected significantly more often during femoral vein versus upper extremity contrast delivery (23 of 70 patients [prevalence 33%] vs. 9 of 70 patients [prevalence 13%], p < 0.001). The intensity of left ventricular opacification was also greater during femoral vein contrast injection. Precordial echocardiography combined with femoral contrast delivery was significantly more sensitive than cardiac catheterization for assessment of patent foramen ovale (8 of 21 patients vs. 2 of 21 patients, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Femoral vein contrast delivery significantly enhances the ability of precordial contrast echocardiography to diagnose patent foramen ovale. Physiologic patency of the foramen ovale is more common (prevalence 33%) than previously documented.

Arm↗

PubMed2004

Patent foramen ovale, systemic embolization and closure.

The recognition, evaluation and treatment of patent foramen ovale has attracted increasing interest as the importance and frequency of paradoxical embolism has become better understood. The interest in this field has been driven largely by the widespread application of echocardiography with identification of a patent foramen ovale and/or an atrial septal aneurysm. The evaluation of the role of a patent foramen ovale in patients with a neurologic event is complex because the patent foramen ovale or atrial septal aneurysm may either be an innocent bystander or could be the etiologic mechanisms involved in the paradoxical embolus. In patients younger than 55 years, a causal relationship between a patent foramen ovale/atrial septal aneurysm and a neurologic ischemic event is considerably stronger than in those patients older than 55 years. In patients with a presumed diagnosis of paradoxical embolus in the setting of a patent foramen ovale, percutaneous closure is now possible and 2 devices are relatively widely used. Both of these devices reliably close the defect with a very acceptable risk profile and have been found in the longer term to be associated with excellent outcome. The exact role, however, that these devices play vis a vis continued medical therapy for prevention of recurrent events is being tested in 2 randomized clinical trials. The field continues to change with new technology being developed and with new applications. A recently exciting finding has been the identification that closure of a patent foramen ovale may be associated with dramatic improvement in symptoms of patients with disabling migraine headaches. Other potential applications of these devices include those patients who are deep-sea divers, in whom the potential for "bends" exists, or high altitude airplane pilots.

Echocardiography↗

PubMed2001

Accessory oval foramen.

We describe an opening with smooth walls in front and medial to foramen ovale which leads to an oblique canal directed towards the fossa pterygoidea. The canal was up to 2.3 mm long and opened near the root of the pterygoid process. We called this opening "foramen ovale accessorium", and found it in 48 of 124 anatomical specimens. The foramen was present in newborns and in those aged over 80 years old on one side but rarely on both sides of the sphenoid bone. Only in a single specimen were there two foramina side by side in front of the foramen ovale. In another case, the foramen ovale accessorium was present in the anterior wall of the canalis ovalis and pointed to the fossa pterygoidea. The localization and direction of the foramen ovale accessorium led us to the conclusion that it housed some of the separate rootlets for the chewing muscles, in this case for mm pterygoidei, mm tensor veli palatini and tensor tympani. The existence and contents of the foramen ovale accessorium is important in surgical interventions on the trigeminal nerve and/or ganglion Gasseri.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

A quantitative assessment of the jugular foramen.

While it is generally accepted that the right jugular foramen is larger than the left, little quantitative evidence exists on the exocranial and endocranial openings of this foramen. The present study set out to clarify and quantify measurements of the two openings. The dimensions of the exocranial and endocranial openings of the jugular foramen and the volume and height of the jugular fossa were examined in a total sample of 93 skulls from white and black, male and female South Africans. The volume of the jugular fossa was determined with the use of a dental impression material. The exocranial area of the right jugular foramen was significantly larger (p < 0.05) than the left in the black group, while the endocranial area of the right foramen was significantly larger (p < 0.05) than the left only in black males. The height of the jugular fossa was significantly larger (p < 0.05) on the right side only in the black group. The volume of the jugular foramen was significantly larger (p < 0.05) on the right side only in females of both groups. Although the jugular foramen is generally larger on the right side than on the left, its size as well as the volume and height of the jugular fossa is variable in different groups and sexes.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Comparison of sphenoidal, foramen ovale and anterior temporal placements for detecting interictal epileptiform discharges in presurgical assessment for temporal lobe epilepsy.

OBJECTIVES: Some authors have recently stressed that the position of the tip of the sphenoidal electrode plays a crucial role in its efficacy to detect mesio-basal spikes. We have tested this hypothesis by comparing the sensitivity of a contact of a foramen ovale bundle located at the foramen ovale (CFO) with scalp electrodes in detecting interictal epileptiform discharges. We have also compared deep and superficial foramen ovale contacts in the same bundle in order to establish whether deeper contacts can detect epileptiform discharges not seen at the foramen ovale or on the scalp. METHODS: The sensitivity for detecting epileptiform discharges of simultaneous intracranial and scalp EEG recordings from 20 patients under telemetric presurgical assessment for temporal lobe epilepsy were compared. RESULTS: Out of 2280 epileptiform discharges evaluated, about 70% were seen only at the deep foramen ovale contacts. Out of the 722 discharges recorded by CFO and/or scalp electrodes, 698 were seen at the CFO and 690 at the scalp anterior temporal electrode. Only on 29 occasions (4.15%) were discharges recorded at the CFO and not at the anterior temporal electrode. On 21 occasions (3.04%) CFO failed to detect discharges seen at the anterior temporal electrode. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm previous results suggesting that sphenoidal electrodes, however accurately positioned, offer no significant increase in detection sensitivity compared with anterior temporal scalp electrodes. In addition, these results confirm that a large proportion of discharges seen at the deepest foramen ovale contacts are not seen either on the scalp nor at the superficial foramen ovale contacts.

Brain↗

PubMed2001

Tethering of the vertebral artery in the congenital arcuate foramen of the atlas vertebra: a possible cause of vertebral artery dissection in children.

Twelve children with vertebrobasilar artery stroke are reported (seven males, five females; aged 6 months to 15 years). Patient 1 showed an arcuate foramen in the posterior arch of the atlas, an anatomical variant occurring in 3 to 15% of the population. It was hypothesized that the presence of the arcuate foramen might cause tethering of the vertebral artery and lead to its dissection by repetitive trauma. Lateral plain films of the cervical spine in cases of posterior circulation stroke were taken. Eight of 11 patients showed aberrant arcuate foramina. Of the remaining three patients, one had normal cervical spine X-rays, one had an absent right posterior arch of the atlas following previous surgery for a cervical meningocele, and one patient had incomplete ossification of the vertebrae. Seven of the nine patients with arcuate foramina had vertebral angiograms. In all cases this showed the vertebral artery passing through the arcuate foramen before entering the brain and an appearance consistent with arterial dissection and occlusion at the same site below the foramen. Most documented cases of posterior circulation stroke in children follow trauma, which may be minimal or repetitive, with thrombotic occlusion of the artery at C1-C2 level. The association with an arcuate foramen and its possible causative role in the genesis of posterior circulation stroke in children has not been previously recognized. There may be a causal association between the presence of an arcuate foramen, tethering of the vertebral artery in the foramen, and dissection from repetitive trauma with movement of the neck.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1991

Foramen ovale size in the normal and abnormal human fetal heart: an indicator of transatrial flow physiology.

We used fetal echocardiography to measure the sizes of the foramen ovale and atrial septum in 80 human fetuses from 17.5 to 38 weeks gestation. Forty-six fetuses had normal cardiac anatomy, 19 had left heart obstructive lesions, and 15 had right heart obstructive lesions. Pulsed and color flow Doppler studies were incorporated when available. We found that normal fetuses had a foramen ovale/atrial septum size ratio of 0.33 +/- 0.04 (mean +/- SD). In all (52%) fetuses in which it was available, pulsed Doppler study revealed bidirectional, but predominantly right-to-left, flow through the foramen ovale. Fetuses with left heart obstructive lesions had a foramen ovale/atrial septum size ratio smaller than normal (0.28 +/- 0.05; p < 0.001). Seven of nine fetuses with left heart obstructive lesions who had color Doppler studies demonstrated reversal of the normal flow pattern, exhibiting unidirectional left-to-right transforamenal flow. Those with right heart obstructive lesions had a larger than normal foramen ovale/atrial septum size ratio (0.47 +/- 0.04; p < 0.001). Nine fetuses with right heart obstructive lesions had color Doppler studies which demonstrated almost exclusive right-to-left transforamenal flow. We conclude that foramen ovale/atrial septum size ratio and Doppler interrogation of transatrial flow are helpful adjuncts in determining the presence of congenital heart disease in utero. In addition, early detection of abnormal foramen ovale/atrial septum size ratio may predict whether left or right ventricular development will be impaired throughout gestation, even before gross disparity of ventricular size is apparent.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1992

Foramen ovale: an ultrasonographic study of its relation to the inferior vena cava, ductus venosus and hepatic veins.

According to the literature, oxygenated blood from the ductus venosus and hepatic veins may either enter the right atrium before flowing through the foramen ovale to the left atrium, or flow directly from the ductus venosus and the hepatic veins to the foramen ovale, bypassing the right atrium. To address this problem, 103 normal fetuses were examined by two-dimensional imaging, M-mode and color Doppler at an average gestational age of 27 weeks (range, 15-40 weeks). The position of the ventricular septum and foramen ovale, and the angle and flow direction of the inferior vena cava, ductus venosus and hepatic veins were recorded. Two pathways for blood were described: a left ductus venosus-foramen ovale pathway that delivers blood directly to the foramen ovale circumventing the right atrium, and a right inferior vena cava-right atrium pathway that delivers blood into the right atrium through the right portion of the proximal inferior vena cava at an angle of 13 degrees to the long axis of the spine. The left and medial hepatic veins enter the left ductus venosus-foramen ovale pathway, and the right hepatic vein enters the right inferior vena cava-right atrium pathway. This supports the hypothesis that oxygenated blood from the ductus venosus and left hepatic veins flows directly through the foramen ovale to the left atrium avoiding extensive mixture in the inferior vena cava and an intermediate entrance to the right atrium.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1992

Asymmetry of the root canal foramen.

Deviation of the major apical foramen from the anatomical root apex is a recognized phenomenon. To determine the frequency, position and mean distance of the major apical foramen from the anatomical root apex, 230 roots of permanent teeth were examined stereomicroscopically and radiographically. Radiographic analysis was used to establish how accurate the conventional radiograph was in displaying such a deviation. The frequency of deviation of the major foramen, determined stereomicroscopically, was 76%, and depended on the type of teeth examined. Radiographic analysis of the same sample revealed 57% of root canals had asymmetry of the root canal foramen. Agreement of stereomicroscopic and radiographic findings was found to be 61%. The most frequent deviation of the major foramen was on the distal root surface (29%), but this was not statistically significant. The mean distance between the deviation of the major foramen and the anatomical root apex was 0.99 mm. The study indicates that the clinician should consider deviation of the foramen during root canal treatment, as the deviation could not easily be detected radiographically.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The jugular foramen: a review of anatomy, masses, and imaging characteristics.

A variety of lesions may occur in the jugular foramen, arising from the structures normally found within the jugular foramen or from contiguous structures. The most common jugular foramen lesions are nontumoral pseudolesions (eg, asymmetrically enlarged jugular foramen, high or protruding jugular bulb) and tumors (eg, paraganglioma, metastasis). In nontumoral pseudolesions, computed tomography (CT) demonstrates smooth, intact margins of the jugular foramen. Turbulent or slow flow in a high or protruding jugular bulb can result in loss of the flow void and contrast enhancement at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, thereby mimicking real disease. Use of flow-sensitive techniques or MR angiography will help clarify confusing cases. In cerebral venous thrombosis, CT findings are often normal. At conventional MR imaging, flow-related enhancement and in-plane, turbulent, or slow flow can cause loss of the flow void and thus mimic thrombosis. Consequently, phase-contrast MR venography is the imaging modality of choice in the assessment of cerebral venous thrombosis. Most tumoral lesions of the jugular foramen manifest at CT as areas of infiltrative bone destruction, although schwannoma and meningioma cause smooth enlargement of the jugular foramen. In addition, most of these tumors have low to intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted MR images and intermediate to high signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images and enhance strongly after the administration of contrast material. Careful analysis of these imaging features and correlation with clinical manifestations can allow a more specific diagnosis.

Brain Diseases↗

PubMed1997

The retrotransverse foramen of the human atlas vertebra. A distinctive variant within primates.

The occurrence of a retrotransverse foramen of the atlas has been investigated in a series of 409 nonhuman primates representative of 40 genera, and in a series of 500 human atlases (dried bones). In nonhuman primates, no retrotransverse foramen was found in any of the individuals studied. In humans, the retrotransverse foramen was observed in 71 cases (14.2%). It was present bilaterally in 21 cases (29.6% of the 71 foramina), and unilaterally in 50 cases (70.4%). The foramen was present in 44 cases on the right side, and 48 on the left side. The character was noted as present only if it was complete; partial forms were not recorded. Various aspects of the retrotransverse foramen were observed. The present observations suggest that the retrotransverse foramen is a uniquely derived trait (autapomorphy) within primates which is restricted to some individuals in Homo sapiens. Appearance of this foramen in human evolution can be related to the acquisition of the erect posture and bipedal locomotion, and consecutive modifications of the regional venous circulation.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Comparison of diagnostic techniques for the detection of a patent foramen ovale in stroke patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The prevalence of a patent foramen ovale has been shown to be increased in patients with ischemic stroke. Transesophageal echocardiography, transthoracic echocardiography, and transcranial Doppler examination with contrast injection can all be used to search for a patent foramen ovale. We compared the accuracy of these techniques for identifying a patent foramen ovale in 49 patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. METHODS: Transcranial Doppler examination of the right middle cerebral artery was performed during simultaneous transthoracic echocardiography with aerated saline injection, and again during transesophageal echocardiography; the latter was adopted as the "gold standard" for assessing the sensitivity of the other two tests. RESULTS: Contrast transesophageal echocardiography detected a patent foramen ovale in 19 of 49 patients (39%), during normal respiration in 15 of them and during Valsalva maneuver in 4. Transcranial Doppler correctly identified 13 patients with a patent foramen ovale and all 30 patients without it. Therefore, the sensitivity of transcranial Doppler was 68% (13/19), and its specificity 100% (30/30). The 6 patients misclassified by transcranial Doppler (false negatives) had a very small right-to-left shunt detected by transesophageal echocardiography. Contrast transthoracic echocardiography was found to be the least sensitive test, detecting a patent foramen ovale in only 9 of 19 patients (47%). The specificity of transthoracic echocardiography was 100% (30/30 patients). The low sensitivity of transthoracic echocardiography was principally due to the suboptimal image quality obtained in false-negative patients. Both transcranial Doppler and transthoracic echocardiography were more sensitive in patients with cryptogenic stroke than in patients with stroke of determined origin. This may indicate the presence of larger, more easily detectable shunts in patients with cryptogenic stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Transesophageal echocardiography is more sensitive than transcranial Doppler examination in detecting a patent foramen ovale, but only in cases of minimal right-to-left shunts, the clinical relevance of which remains to be established. The sensitivity of transthoracic echocardiography is heavily hampered by the frequency of inadequate heart visualization.

Aged↗

PubMed1994

Characteristics of patent foramen ovale associated with cryptogenic stroke. A biplane transesophageal echocardiographic study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patent foramen ovale is associated with ischemic stroke in patients without a clearly identifiable etiology for stroke (cryptogenic stroke). Paradoxical embolization is thought to be a potential mechanism. However, patent foramen ovale is also found in patients with known cause of stroke. Therefore, using contrast transesophageal echocardiography, we characterized the patent foramen ovale in cryptogenic stroke patients to assess morphological factors that may contribute to paradoxical embolization. METHODS: Contrast transesophageal echocardiographic studies of 74 consecutive patients referred for ischemic stroke were reviewed. Twenty-three patients with patent foramen ovale were identified. These patients were classified as having strokes of determined origin or cryptogenic strokes according to criteria developed for the Stroke Data Bank of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Separation of septum primum from secundum and the number of microbubbles appearing in left atrium were then quantitated. These parameters were compared between patients with cryptogenic stroke and those with known cause of stroke. RESULTS: The patent foramen ovale dimension was significantly larger in patients with cryptogenic stroke compared with patients with an identifiable cause of stroke (2.1 +/- 1.7 mm versus 0.57 +/- 0.78 mm [mean +/- SD]; P < .01). The number of microbubbles was also greater in patients with cryptogenic stroke compared with patients with an identifiable cause of stroke (13.9 +/- 10.7 versus 1.6 +/- 0.8 [mean +/- SD]; P < .0005). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cryptogenic stroke have larger patent foramen ovale with more extensive right-to-left interatrial shunting than patients with stroke of determined cause. Transesophageal echocardiographically identifiable characteristics of patent foramen ovale may be important in defining the clinical significance of individual patent foramina.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Subtonsillar approach to the foramen of Luschka: an anatomic and clinical study.

OBJECTIVE: Conventional approaches to tumors of the foramen of Luschka are limited because the foramen is viewed from either the fourth ventricle laterally (transvermian approach) or the cerebellopontine angle medially (suboccipital approach). The definitive approach is subtonsillar, because the foramen of Luschka is actually the end of the natural cleavage plane between the cerebellar tonsil and the medulla. We describe the microsurgical anatomic features of the foramen of Luschka region and the operative technique for the subtonsillar approach to this region. METHODS: In the anatomic study, five formalin-fixed, silicone-injected, cadaveric heads were used. In the clinical study, the records for five patients treated via the subtonsillar approach were examined; several illustrative cases are presented. RESULTS: The foramen of Luschka is formed by the tela choroidea and the rhomboid lip and exists at the lateral end of the cerebellomedullary fissure, which is a natural cleavage plane between the cerebellar tonsil and the medulla. The subtonsillar approach is performed via a suboccipital craniotomy; the patient is positioned in the lateral decubitus position, with the tumor side down. After the cerebellar tonsil is freed from arachnoid adhesions, it can be retracted rostrodorsally from the medulla, to expose the cerebellomedullary fissure. Clinically, the tela choroidea and rhomboid lip are significantly attenuated by tumor expansion. Therefore, by dissecting in a subtonsillar manner around the tumor, one can reach the foramen of Luschka without traversing any neural tissue. CONCLUSION: The subtonsillar approach yields a panoramic view to the foramen of Luschka laterally and up to the middle cerebellar peduncle superiorly. This approach minimizes the distance between the tumor and the surgeon, while maximizing neural preservation. We think this is the definitive approach to this difficult region of the posterior fossa.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Diagnosis of patent foramen ovale using contrast-enhanced dynamic MRI: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for detection of patent foramen ovale. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with and five patients without patent foramen ovale underwent transesophageal echocardiography and MRI, which were performed during the Valsalva maneuver. Grading results (grade 0, no patent foramen ovale and grades 1-3, minor to major enhancement due to intracardiac shunt) were assessed visually. Signal-intensity curves in the left atrium and in a pulmonary vein served to underline the diagnosis. RESULTS: The diagnoses of all patients with (15/15) and without patent foramen ovale (5/5) were correct compared with the findings of the reference transesophageal echocardiography. In 12 (60%) of 20 patients, the grading scores were identical, and in four (20%) of 20 patients, the scores differed by more than one grade. Overall, there was a good correlation of grading scores (r = 0.7, p < 0.05). Using signal-intensity curves, we found that the patients with patent foramen ovale showed an additional signal peak in the left atrium before the enhancement of the pulmonary vein because of an intracardiac shunt. In three of 15 patients with patent foramen ovale, an atrial septal aneurysm was correctly diagnosed. CONCLUSION: This pilot study shows that MRI is a new noninvasive method to detect patent foramen ovale and atrial septal aneurysm. A grading is possible but warrants further investigation regarding its predictive value and impact on treatment strategies.

Contrast Media↗