Transient Ischemic Attack After Foam Sclerotherapy in a Woman With a Patent Foramen Ovale.

Sclerotherapy is an increasingly popular treatment modality for patients with chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins. Potential complications of foam sclerotherapy include cerebrovascular accidents and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). We report the case of a 55-year-old woman who had a TIA shortly after undergoing foam sclerotherapy. She had presented for treatment with no confirmed risk factors for microemboli formation or thrombus. After the procedure, however, she had transient visual loss, dysarthria, confusion, and frontal headache, which resolved within 30 minutes of onset. A subsequent diagnosis of a patent foramen ovale was thought to have put her at risk for TIA in the setting of foam sclerotherapy. Osteopathic physicians should be aware of the potential for neurologic sequelae after foam sclerotherapy and inform patients prior to consent.