Canadian respiratory journal : journal of the Canadian Thoracic Society
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Case Reports
Orthodeoxia and platypnea secondary to a patent foramen ovale despite normal right-sided cardiac pressures.
Numerous cases of orthodeoxia and platypnea have been reported. Some have been found to be due to intracardiac shunts despite normal intracardiac pressures. ⋯ She recovered after closure of the PFO. The authors postulate that recent vertebral fractures and subsequent kyphosis, as well as a dilated thoracic aorta, altered intrathoracic relationships and may have led to a stream of venous return being directed across the PFO in the upright position, despite normal intracardiac pressures.