{"title":"Transient Oxygen Desaturation Associated with Persistent Right Venous Valve-Mediated Right-to-Left Atrial Shunt in Term Neonates.","authors":"Yoichi Mino, Hitoshi Uemasu, Juntaro Yamasaki, Keita Shimizu, Fumiko Miyahara, Aya Imamoto, Hiromi Fuji, Masahiro Suzuki, Kazuki Yoshioka, Chisaki Moriwaki, Aya Tomomori, Mayumi Sakaguchi, Yukiko Nakashima, Ayano Okuda, Noriyuki Namba","doi":"10.33160/yam.2026.05.002","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Persistent right venous valve (PRVV), a remnant of the fetal right valve of the sinus venosus, may facilitate right-to-left atrial shunting through the patent foramen ovale (PFO). Although PRVV has been reported to cause severe neonatal cyanosis requiring surgical intervention, its clinical significance in otherwise healthy term neonates remains poorly defined.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We retrospectively analyzed consecutive term neonates (≥ 37 weeks' gestation) with stable general conditions who exhibited periodic breathing-like oxygen saturation (SpO<sub>2</sub>) fluctuations and were found to have PRVV-associated right-to-left atrial shunting on transthoracic echocardiography. Clinical characteristics and SpO<sub>2</sub> values recorded during routine monitoring were reviewed, and the minimum, median, and maximum SpO<sub>2</sub> values during hospitalization were assessed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Ten term neonates were included. Minimum SpO<sub>2</sub> values ranged from 81% to 94% (median, 87%), whereas median SpO<sub>2</sub> values remained high (95-100%) in all cases. These desaturation episodes occurred predominantly during sleep and were frequently synchronized with inspiration, suggesting a circulatory rather than respiratory mechanism. Although some neonates experienced transient desaturation reaching as low as 80%, none developed sustained hypoxemia, required prolonged oxygen supplementation, or underwent additional respiratory investigations or therapeutic interventions. All neonates remained clinically stable throughout hospitalization.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In otherwise healthy term neonates, PRVV with PFO-related right-to-left atrial shunting may cause transient oxygen desaturation, occasionally reaching as low as 80%; however, it is generally self-limiting and clinically benign. Recognition of this hemodynamic mechanism may help clinicians appropriately interpret transient SpO<sub>2</sub> decreases and avoid unnecessary respiratory evaluations in selected neonates.</p>","PeriodicalId":23795,"journal":{"name":"Yonago acta medica","volume":"69 2","pages":"160-165"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0000,"publicationDate":"2026-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13198967/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Yonago acta medica","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.33160/yam.2026.05.002","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2026/5/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"MEDICINE, RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
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Abstract
Background: Persistent right venous valve (PRVV), a remnant of the fetal right valve of the sinus venosus, may facilitate right-to-left atrial shunting through the patent foramen ovale (PFO). Although PRVV has been reported to cause severe neonatal cyanosis requiring surgical intervention, its clinical significance in otherwise healthy term neonates remains poorly defined.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed consecutive term neonates (≥ 37 weeks' gestation) with stable general conditions who exhibited periodic breathing-like oxygen saturation (SpO2) fluctuations and were found to have PRVV-associated right-to-left atrial shunting on transthoracic echocardiography. Clinical characteristics and SpO2 values recorded during routine monitoring were reviewed, and the minimum, median, and maximum SpO2 values during hospitalization were assessed.
Results: Ten term neonates were included. Minimum SpO2 values ranged from 81% to 94% (median, 87%), whereas median SpO2 values remained high (95-100%) in all cases. These desaturation episodes occurred predominantly during sleep and were frequently synchronized with inspiration, suggesting a circulatory rather than respiratory mechanism. Although some neonates experienced transient desaturation reaching as low as 80%, none developed sustained hypoxemia, required prolonged oxygen supplementation, or underwent additional respiratory investigations or therapeutic interventions. All neonates remained clinically stable throughout hospitalization.
Conclusion: In otherwise healthy term neonates, PRVV with PFO-related right-to-left atrial shunting may cause transient oxygen desaturation, occasionally reaching as low as 80%; however, it is generally self-limiting and clinically benign. Recognition of this hemodynamic mechanism may help clinicians appropriately interpret transient SpO2 decreases and avoid unnecessary respiratory evaluations in selected neonates.
期刊介绍：
Yonago Acta Medica (YAM) is an electronic journal specializing in medical sciences, published by Tottori University Medical Press, 86 Nishi-cho, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
The subject areas cover the following: molecular/cell biology; biochemistry; basic medicine; clinical medicine; veterinary medicine; clinical nutrition and food sciences; medical engineering; nursing sciences; laboratory medicine; clinical psychology; medical education.
Basically, contributors are limited to members of Tottori University and Tottori University Hospital. Researchers outside the above-mentioned university community may also submit papers on the recommendation of a professor, an associate professor, or a junior associate professor at this university community.
Articles are classified into four categories: review articles, original articles, patient reports, and short communications.
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