title: Early prenatal diagnosis of ventricular diverticulum complicated by serous pericardial effusion.
abstract: An unusual case of apical diverticulum complicated by serous pericardial effusion and diagnosed ultrasonographically at 13 weeks of gestation is described. A therapeutic abortion was induced at 14 weeks and the complete post-mortem examination did not show additional malformation. Cardiac diverticulum is a rare malformation that occurs as an isolated defect or as part of a complex midline thoraco-abdominal defect. Only two prenatally diagnosed cases have been previously reported in the literature and none with associated hydropericardium.
mesh_terms: D000032:Abortion, Therapeutic; D000328:Adult; D004240:Diverticulum / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal