Importance of Abdominal Compression Valsalva Maneuver and Microbubble Grading in Contrast Transthoracic Echocardiography for Detecting Patent Foramen Ovale

摘要

Background: Although transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) may be useful for patent foramen ovale (PFO) screening, the optimal methodologies remain unclear. The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of the abdominal compression Valsalva maneuver and identify the optimal cutoff value of microbubbles in contrast TTE for detecting PFO, compared with transesophageal echocardiography and catheterization as the reference.