Prenatal Narrowing or Closure of the Foramen Ovale

Abstract

In the current study cases are presented in which a prenatally narrowed or closed foramen ovale was associated with left heart chambers of normal or near-normal size. Such infants develop an increased pulmonary arterial muscle mass with hypertrophy and dilation of the right cardiac chambers during fetal life. Much of the arterial muscle mass persists after birth and may well be responsible for the early neonatal death of the infants. The longer asymptomatic survival of one infant suggests that therapy may be possible.