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Closure of a Patent Foramen Ovale PFO: An Intervention Sequence
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Closure of a Patent Foramen Ovale PFO: An Intervention Sequence

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Extreme exercise dislike of a toddler due to a patent foramen ovale

Charlotte Grootaers1, Mieke Roggen1, Marc Gewillig1

  • 1Fetal and Pediatric Cardiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.

Cardiology in the Young
|December 12, 2018
PubMed

Insights

A rare heart defect, patent foramen ovale, caused exercise intolerance in a child. Closing the defect led to significant recovery and improved exercise capacity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Congenital Heart Disease

Background:

  • Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a common congenital heart defect.
  • PFO can be asymptomatic or associated with various clinical manifestations.
  • Exercise-induced desaturation is a potential, though less common, presentation of PFO.

Observation:

  • A 5-year-old girl experienced chronic fatigue and severe exercise intolerance.
  • Extensive medical evaluations failed to identify the cause until exercise testing revealed significant desaturation.
  • Right-to-left shunting through a PFO during upright exercise was suspected as the etiology.

Findings:

  • Cardiac catheterization identified an unusually cranially located patent foramen ovale.
  • The PFO defect was successfully closed percutaneously or surgically.
  • Post-closure, the patient demonstrated remarkable physical and mental improvement.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the importance of considering PFO in pediatric patients with unexplained exercise intolerance and desaturation.
  • Timely diagnosis and intervention for specific PFO morphologies can significantly improve quality of life.
  • Further research into exercise physiology in pediatric congenital heart disease is warranted.

Keywords:
chronic fatiguecyanosisexercise intoleranceheart catheterisationpatent foramen ovale

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