AccScience Publishing / BH / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/bh.8132
CASE REPORT

Percutaneous patent foramen ovale closure in refractory migraine with aura: A case report with literature review and pathophysiological insights

Giulia Marchisio1 Stefano Albani1 Paolo Scacciatella1*
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1 Division of Cardiology, Umberto Parini Hospital, Aosta, Aosta Valley, Italy
Received: 23 December 2024 | Revised: 23 April 2025 | Accepted: 27 April 2025 | Published online: 21 May 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Patent foramen ovale (PFO), present in 20 – 30% of the population, is often asymptomatic but may allow right-to-left blood shunting that bypasses pulmonary filtration. This phenomenon has been implicated in cryptogenic stroke and migraine with aura, where microemboli or vasoactive substances may trigger cortical spreading depression. This work, through a clinical case, evaluates the role of percutaneous PFO closure in managing refractory migraine with aura by reviewing current evidence and pathophysiological mechanisms. Initially used for stroke prevention, PFO closure has been proposed as a compassionate treatment for refractory migraines. Although observational studies reported reductions in migraine frequency and severity, randomized trials have been inconsistent. Meta-analyses suggest benefits in specific subgroups, such as patients with aura, but heterogeneity limits conclusions. This case report presents the case of a 22-year-old patient with refractory migraine and a confirmed PFO who underwent successful percutaneous closure, achieving complete migraine remission, improved quality of life, and no evidence of residual shunting. Larger trials are needed to refine patient selection and validate guidelines.

Keywords
Migraine
Patent foramen ovale
Percutaneous closure
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
Paolo Scacciatella is the Guest Editor of this special issue, but was not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly. Separately, other authors declared that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.
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Brain & Heart, Electronic ISSN: 2972-4139 Published by AccScience Publishing