Patent Foramen Ovale

Patent Foramen Ovale

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

Most infants with a patent foramen ovale (PFO) won't experience symptoms. In some cases, though, a baby with a PFO and other heart or lung problems may turn blue, a condition known as cyanosis, when coughing, crying or having a bowel movement.

Adults with a PFO also rarely experience symptoms. Occasionally, patients may experience episodes of shortness of breath and cyanosis. In most cases, a PFO is diagnosed during the evaluation of possible causes of a stroke.<.p>

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated May 8, 2007