Roberta Manganaro, Maurizio Cusmà Piccione, Eustachio Agricola, Matteo Cameli, Antonio De Luca, Scipione Carerj, Giampiero Vizzari, Antonio Micari, Concetta Zito, This document was written by members of the 2024-2026 SIECVI Scientific Documents Commette and reviewed by Francesco Becherini, Antonella Moreo e Vincenzo Maurizio Parato, on behalf of the 2024-2026 SIECVI Board
Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a congenital heart anomaly potentially responsible of paradoxical embolism, enhancing the risk of stroke, especially in young adults. Contrast-enhanced (c-) echocardiography associated with c-transcranial doppler is the method of choice for PFO diagnosis. Transesophageal echocardiography plays a pivotal role for PFO's anatomical characterization; besides, it serves for guidance during percutaneous closure. A multimodality imaging approach is advised for evaluating residual shunt after percutaneous procedures.