Contrast echocardiography and migraine in divers with patent foramen ovale.

Background: It has been proposed that the patent foramen ovale (PFO) may be associated with migraine, in particular migraine with aura. However, it is not clear whether paradoxical embolism triggers crises of headache. Cerebral embolization is provoked in subjects with PFO through contrast echocardiography, a safe method to diagnose the presence of foramen ovale pervium.