DOI: 10.36347/sjmcr.2016.v04i08.021

Pages: 632-635

Foramen ovale plays an important role in foetal circulation. Knowledge of persistent patent foramen ovale is very important for its association with various congenital & other valvular heart diseases. Patent foramen ovale is one of the common forms of atrial septal defect rarely observed in the elderly people. With this background we are reporting a case of persistent patent foramen ovale in an elderly female cadaver heart specimen from the Department of Anatomy, Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Ernakulum. This observation was noted during routine dissection for I MBBS students (2014 batch). Patients with isolated atrial septal defects have been benefited from important recent advances in the diagnosis, evaluation & management of their conditions.