CARDIOVASCULAR CAUSES OF

FETAL HYDROPS

Up to 40% of fetal hydrops is reported to be due to cardiovascular abnormalities (1).

• Tachyarrhythmia.
• Atrioventricular valve insufficiency (2).
• Atrioventricular block (3).
• Supraventricular tachycardia (4).
• Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (5).
• Intracardiac teratoma (6).
• Premature closure of the foramen ovale.

When pleural effusion is associated with a lung:thoracic ratio £ 0.6, severe pulmonary hypoplasia has a 100% perinatal mortality (7).

REFERENCES

1. Allan LD, Crawford DC, Sheridan R et.al. Etiology on nonimmune hydrops: The value of echocardiography. Br J Obstet Gynecol 1986;93:223.
2. Silverman NH, Kleinman CS, Rudolph AM et.al. Fetal atrioventricular valve insufficiency associated with non immune hydrops: A two-dimentional echocardiographic and pulsed doppler study. Circulation 1985;72:825.
3. Harris JP, Alexson CG, Manning JA et.al. Medical therapy for the hydropic fetus with congenital complete atrioventricular block. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1993;10:217.
4. Stevens DC, Hilliard JK, Schreiner RL et.al. Supraventricular tachycardia with edema, ascites and hydrops in fetal sheep. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1982;142:316.
5. Sahn D, Shenker L, Reed K et.al. Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome in utero associated with hydrops fetalis. Am Heart J 1982;104:1368.
6. Skyggebjerg KD. Hydrops fetalis caused by intrapericardial teratoma. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 1988;67:653.
7. Castillo RA, Devoe LD, Hai HA et.al. Nonimmune hydrops: Clinical experience and factors related to poor outcome. Am J Obstet Gynecol1986;155:812.