title: Tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy after functional closure of the foramen ovale in a fetus.
abstract: Although fetal tachyarrhythmias are relatively rare, they are an important causes of fetal morbidity and mortality. We report a 30-week pregnant woman with fetal tachycardia, fetal hydrops and ascites. Fetal heart rate was 230 bpm. Fetal heart rate was 230 bpm. M-mode echocardiography revealed a tachycardia with a 1:1 relationship between atrial and ventricular conduction and a short time interval between ventricular and atrial contraction. These findings suggested a diagnosis of atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia. On the third day digoxin treatment, the fetal heart rate was still 225 bpm with a 1:1 relationship between atrial and ventricular conduction. At this time, no flow across the foramen ovale was detected. Functional closure of the foramen ovale was suspected.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. Elisabeth.Mlczoch@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mlczoch
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Salzer-Muhar
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ulm
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marx
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002585:Cesarean Section; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D054092:Foramen Ovale, Patent / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D015160:Hydrops Fetalis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012770:Shock, Cardiogenic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013611:Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging