PATENT FORAMEN OVALE IN A PLASTINATED HEART: AN INNOVATIVE ANATOMICAL ANALYSIS FOR CLINICAL INSIGHTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56238/revgeov17n1-116Keywords:
Patent Foramen Ovale, Plastination, Cardiac Anatomy, Paradoxical Embolism, Medical EducationAbstract
Patent foramen ovale is a common anatomical variation in the adult heart, associated with clinical risks such as cryptogenic stroke. This study presents a rare case of PFO observed in a plastinated heart preserved by silicone immersion, allowing detailed three-dimensional analysis. The specimen, obtained from a male donor approximately 45 years old, revealed a PFO measuring 4.2 mm in diameter, with typical features of a potential shunt. Plastination facilitated artifact-free visualization, highlighting atrial asymmetries and their implications for medical education and clinical research. This finding reinforces the importance of integrating anatomy with preventive medicine and suggests future investigations in larger series to correlate morphology with epidemiological data.
Downloads
References
Furlan, A. J., & cols. (2012). Closure or medical therapy for cryptogenic stroke with patent foramen ovale. New England Journal of Medicine, 366(11), 991–999. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1009639
Hara, H., & cols. (2005). Patent foramen ovale: Current pathology, pathophysiology, and clinical status. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 46(9), 1768–1776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2005.08.038
Hagen, P. T., Scholz, D. G., & Edwards, W. D. (1984). Incidence and size of patent foramen ovale during the first 10 decades of life: An autopsy study of 965 normal hearts. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 59(1), 17–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-6196(12)60336-X
Koutroulou, I., & cols. (2020). Epidemiology of patent foramen ovale in general population and in stroke patients: A narrative review. Frontiers in Neurology, 11, Article 281. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2020.00281
Lechat, P. H., & cols. (1988). Prevalence of patent foramen ovale in patients with stroke. New England Journal of Medicine, 318(18), 1148–1152. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM198805053181802
McKenzie, J. A., Edwards, W. D., & Hagler, D. J. (2009). Anatomy of the patent foramen ovale for the interventionalist. Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, 73(6), 821–826. https://doi.org/10.1002/ccd.21889
Meissner, I., & cols. (2006). Patent foramen ovale: Innocent or guilty? Evidence from a prospective population-based study. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 47(2), 440–445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2005.10.044
Saver, J. L., & cols. (2017). Long-term outcomes of patent foramen ovale closure or medical therapy after stroke. New England Journal of Medicine, 377(11), 1022–1032. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1610057
von Hagens, G., Tiedemann, K., & Kriz, W. (1987). The current potential of plastination. Anatomy and Embryology, 175(4), 411–421. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00309677