Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome: a rare complication after right pneumonectomy.

ABSTRACT

Platypnea is characterized by breathlessness in the upright position. Orthodeoxia is defined by arterial desaturation on standing. Herein we describe a case of platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome in a patient who underwent a right pneumonectomy for adenocarcinoma of the lung. Closure of a patent foramen ovale, causing a right-to-left shunt, with an Amplatzer device, produced immediate symptomatic relief.