Premature closure or restriction of the foramen ovale: prenatal diagnosis by directional enhanced flow imaging.

Premature closure or restriction of the foramen ovale may occur at any time during pregnancy and may be due to various causes. We describe 2 patients with premature closure or restriction of the foramen ovale during the third trimester. In both patients the foramen ovale was detected by directional enhanced flow imaging technology (DeFLOW; Hitachi-Aloka Medical, Ltd, Tokyo, Japan), a novel method of imaging blood flow dynamics. Our findings indicate that D-eFLOW can display blood flow information with higher sensitivity and resolution than conventional methods, helping obstetricians and pregnant women make timely decisions about delivery.