PATENT FORAMEN OVALE IN A PLASTINATED HEART: AN INNOVATIVE ANATOMICAL ANALYSIS FOR CLINICAL INSIGHTS

Authors

  • Maria Alessamia Nunes Lima
  • Endrya Victoria Lima Brito
  • Camila Pond Nepomuceno
  • Yuri Oliveira Frota de Siqueira
  • Samara Fernandes e Silva
  • Fernanda Melo de Carvalho
  • Silvio Barbosa Matos Junior
  • Vanessa Moraes da Silva
  • Manuella Cruz Lira
  • Kelvis Batista Félix
  • Pedro Kauã Araujo Chagas
  • Carlos Reinaldo da Costa
  • Helder Bindá Pimenta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56238/revgeov17n1-116

Keywords:

Patent Foramen Ovale, Plastination, Cardiac Anatomy, Paradoxical Embolism, Medical Education

Abstract

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

Download data is not yet available.

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

Downloads

Published

2026-01-26

How to Cite

Lima, M. A. N., Brito, E. V. L., Nepomuceno, C. P., de Siqueira, Y. O. F., Fernandes e Silva, S., de Carvalho, F. M., Matos Junior, S. B., da Silva, V. M., Lira, M. C., Félix, K. B., Chagas, P. K. A., da Costa, C. R., & Pimenta, H. B. (2026). PATENT FORAMEN OVALE IN A PLASTINATED HEART: AN INNOVATIVE ANATOMICAL ANALYSIS FOR CLINICAL INSIGHTS. Revista De Geopolítica, 17(1), e1372. https://doi.org/10.56238/revgeov17n1-116