[Fetal haemodynamic and left heart dysfunction].
Foetal cardiology is a well established field of paediatric cardiology. It is no longer a simple exercise of prenatal diagnosis of cardiac malformations. It also covers the investigation and treatment of arrhythmias and functional and dynamic cardiocirculatory evaluation of the foetus which does not always have primary organic cardiac disease. It is this aspect which will be described in this article. The interactions of the left heart / foetal haemodynamics are classified in two main groups according to whether the left myocardial dysfunction is primary or secondary to changes of pre- or afterload. The haemodynamics singularities of the normal foetal circulation are and essential basis for the understanding of the phenomena observed.
Fouron
J C
JC
Unité de cardiologie foetale, service de cardiologie, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Quebec. fouron@sympatico.ca
D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*