Jonathan Tobis, MD

This review will familiarize physicians with the embryology, types, and incidence of various interatrial communications; summarize and highlight the potential association of interatrial communications with stroke, platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome, neurologic decompression sickness in divers, and migraine headaches; discuss various therapeutic modalities available for closure of interatrial communications; and outline future directions in this rapidly evolving field.