Orthodeoxia-platypnea syndrome and stroke: Overlapping pathophysiology

Orthodeoxia-platypnea syndrome (OPS) is a rare cause of dyspnea and hypoxemia induced by upright positioning due to orthostatic conditions [1]. Right-to-left interatrial shunt due to an atrial septal defect or patent foramen ovale (PFO) is the most common cause of this syndrome [2]. Although PFO has been implicated as a potential cause of paradoxical embolism and cerebral embolism in cryptogenic stroke [3], OPS due to PFO has rarely been described presenting as stroke [2,4,5].

Source: Journal of the Neurological Sciences - June 24, 2015 Category: Neurology Authors: Célia Machado, Ricardo Pereira, José Amorim, Carlos Galvão, João Pinho, Carla Ferreira, João Rocha Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research