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Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Closure of a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO): An Intervention Sequence
Published on: December 23, 2022
Cranial thromboembolism secondary to patent foramen ovale and deep venous thrombosis after cesarean section
Harika Bodur1, Eray Caliskan, Yonca Anik
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Kocaeli Medical School, Kocaeli, Turkey. harikabodur@yahoo.com
Background:
Paradoxical embolism via a patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a rare event in the puerperium as a cause of stroke.
Case:
We report a 21-year-old, G4P3A1 woman with the symptoms of convulsion, stroke and unconsciousness 1 week after cesarean delivery. An infarction was detected in both frontal lobes, and echocardiography and MRI confirmed the PFO. Her follow-up course with low-molecular-weight heparin and then warfarin for 6 months was uneventful.
Conclusion:
Patients with an unexplained arterial event should be screened for PFO and possible paradoxical embolism.
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