A myocardial infarction may disclose patent foramen ovale

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Vascular Medicine
• Interventional Cardiology

Background:

• Acute myocardial infarction (MI) in young adults is uncommon.
• Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease is the typical cause of MI.
• Paradoxical embolism through a patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a rare cause of MI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a case of acute myocardial infarction in a young adult.
• To investigate the potential embolic source of myocardial infarction.
• To evaluate the efficacy of PFO closure in preventing recurrent paradoxical embolization.

Main Methods:

• Case report of a 19-year-old male with acute myocardial infarction.
• Contrast echocardiography with Valsalva maneuver to detect intracardiac shunting.
• Transcatheter PFO closure using a 23-mm occluder.
• Follow-up contrast transthoracic echocardiography.

Main Results:

• The patient presented with acute myocardial infarction without coronary artery disease.
• A patent foramen ovale with right-to-left shunting was identified as the likely embolic source.
• Successful PFO closure was achieved.
• No residual shunt or recurrent paradoxical embolization was observed at 1-year follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Patent foramen ovale can be a cause of acute myocardial infarction in young individuals.
• PFO closure is an effective treatment to prevent recurrent paradoxical embolization.
• Echocardiography is crucial in identifying PFO as an embolic source.