A 4D Flow MR Study of PFO causing desaturation - Case Study

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  A 4D Flow-sensitive Magnetic Resonance Study of Patent Foramen Ovale causing Desaturation - A Single Case Study

• IRAS ID

  136182

• Contact name

  Louise Coats

• Contact email

  louise.coats@newcastle.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Research summary

  Patent foramen ovale (PFO), a connection between the right and left side of the heart, occurs in a quarter of the population. Its presence has been associated with cryptogenic stroke and migraine with aura. Very rarely it has been identifed as the cause for unexplained desaturation blood from the right side of the heart passes across it to the left side. Sometimes this can relate to patient position (platypnea orthodeoxia).
  Recently our group has used 4D flow-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging to visualize and quantify cardiac blood flow in the setting of PFO and cryptogenic stroke (see associated application QA5-2). Early results have enabled us to identify the origin of the blood crossing the PFO and to quantify it. The aim of this study is to apply the same imaging protocol to a single patient with desaturation presumed secondary to the PFO and to determine whether identification and quantification of flow across the PFO can similarly be achieved in this setting and to understand whether it may provide a non-invasive alternative to cardiac catheterization for diagnosis of this unusual clinical presentation.

• REC name

  North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  13/NE/0233

• Date of REC Opinion

  19 Jul 2013

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion