Is it serious if there is an oval hole in the heart with a diameter of 3mm?

Question
I had an echocardiogram, the result is that there is an oval hole in the heart with a diameter of 3mm, is it serious, doctor?
Anonymous customer questions
Reply
Hello! More than a quarter of the population has the foramen ovale in the heart. For the most part, this heart disease does not cause adverse health effects. In fact, most people are unaware of the existence of this heart defect.
There are two types of similar defects in the structure of the heart, including atrial septal defect (ASD) and perforation ovale (PFO). Both are holes in the septum between the left and right upper chambers of the heart (2 atria). However, the causes of these two diseases are completely different. Atrial septal defect is formed because the process of forming the tissues of the 2 atria is not complete. Therefore, it is considered a congenital heart defect. On the other hand, the atrial septal defect is larger than the foramen ovale. The larger the size of the hole, the more likely it is to have symptoms earlier.
The disease can only occur if it does not close after the child is born. This hole is an existing structure in the heart from the fetus. Its function is to allow blood to pass through the lungs of the fetus. The lungs of the fetus cannot function until the baby is born and exposed to the air. When a baby takes its first breath at birth, the foramen ovale closes. Within a few months, about 75% of children have completely closed. If it hasn't closed yet, it's called an oval hole.
So the existence of oval hole is dangerous? For most sufferers, that's not a problem, even though blood is partially flowing from the right atrium to the left. It is worth noting when a blood clot is present. In fact, blood clots form in our veins all the time. These are small blood clots just a few millimeters long that travel from throughout the body into the vena cava and back into the right chamber of the heart.
These small blood clots are filtered by small capillaries in the lungs. But if they reach the brain, they can cause serious problems. This can happen when someone has an existing foramen ovale disease. This heart disease is not actually the cause of the stroke. However, because there is a hole between the two atria, the clot can pass through and reach the brain. Although the odds of this happening are low, it's still a possible complication.
Usually, very few cases need to be checked for the presence of foramen ovale because most are asymptomatic. Unless the patient has signs suggestive of severe migraine, transient ischemic attack, or stroke, examination is warranted. The prevalence is about 25% in the general population. However, this rate increases to about 40 to 50% in patients with an unexplained stroke. In some cases, the existence of the foramen ovale may be accompanied by another condition such as atrial fibrillation. That is the reason for the increased risk of stroke.
In addition, if the foramen ovale exists in combination with other heart defects such as atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, etc., the appearance of symptoms may be from comorbidities. Pathologies may include cyanosis, cough, dyspnea, irritability or growth retardation...
Presence of the foramen ovale is diagnosed by echocardiography. An ultrasound uses sound waves directed at the heart from a device called a transducer held on the chest. From there, it creates an image of the heart's activity. Your doctor may do an echocardiogram to detect other heart problems.
Most cases do not require treatment. If you have severe symptoms, you may be treated with anti-clotting drugs or have surgery to close the hole. The choice of method depends on each specific case. In your case, there is a diagnosis of the foramen ovale but no clinical signs. You should have regular cardiovascular check-ups with your doctor's advice. See if there are abnormal signs such as migraine or transient ischemic attack....
If you still have questions about the problem "is it serious if there is an oval hole in the heart with a diameter of 3mm? “You can go to the hospitals of Vinmec Health System for more specific advice from doctors.
Thank you for trusting Vinmec. Best regards!

Answered by Doctor General Internal Medicine - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.