Paradoxical emboli in elderly patients

We report two elderly patients who each had a patent foramen ovale (PFO) and were considered to have had paradoxical emboli. In one patient the PFO was detected by contrast two-dimensional echocardiography, whereas in the other it was demonstrated at post-mortem examination. This is an unusual but treatable condition, particularly difficult to diagnose in older people and probably occurring more frequently than is generally suspected.