Intra-atrial thrombus after surgical closure of patent foramen ovale

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) represents a potential path for paradoxical embo lism and is associated with cryptogenic stroke. It has been suggested that because a PFO represents a repairable lesion (by surgical or transcatheter methods), repair may be the optimal treatment to prevent recurrent stroke. This report describes a patient with recurrent neurologic and peripheral em bolic events, which occurred approximately 6 months after the surgical clos ure of a PFO. The diagnosis of an intra-atrial thrombus with a small residu al PFO was made by subsequent transesophageal echocardiography. Thrombus fo rmation at the closure site needs to be considered in a patient with recurr ent embolic events after closure of a PFO.