To determine the appearance and development of embryonic heart rate a total of n = 317 Nigerian pregnant women were studied in the very early pregnancy from 23 – 56 days from the onset of last menstrual period (LMP). All pregnancies had a subsequent successful outcome. Transvaginal ultrasonography was performed ...

OBJECTIVE: Correct prenatal determination of the fetal right/left axis is essential for the diagnosis of fetal malformations, in particular congenital heart anomalies. A reliable method of transabdominal echocardiographic assessment of the fetal situs in the late second trimester was established. We aimed to determine the validity of the transvaginal approach ...

OBJECTIVES: Study of outcomes of pregnancy in women with congenital heart disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The cardiac state during and after pregnancy was analysed in 173 women (mean age 28 years, range 21-41) referred for fetal echocardiography and evaluation of maternal heart during 201 pregnancies. Acyanotic lesions were present in ...

Vulvanin verrukoz ksantomasi, etiyolojisi tam olarak bilinmeyen, oldukca nadir gorulen bir durumdur. Teshis, hemen hemen her zaman histopatolojik taniya dayanmaktadir. Literaturde dunyada sadece 7 olguda verrukoz ksantoma bildirilmistir. Sunulan olgu (30 yasinda 2 cocuk annesi kadin) yogun beyaz akinti ve yaklasik olarak 5 yildir suregelen vulvar sislikler nedeniyle klinigimize basvurdu. ...

Cardiovascular adaptations during pregnancy are normally well tolerated in healthy women. However, 2% to 4% of women of childbearing age have some degree of concomitant heart disease, and these changes may compromise cardiac function. Of these, a few who do not respond to medical treatment may require surgical correction. In ...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate and speculate on the dietary habits and certain environmental factors of the Southeast Anatolia region which are thought to be related with fetal anomaly development. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients admitted to Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine Obstetrics and Gynecology Department with fetal anomalies between ...

OBJECTIVE: A diagnosis of myocardial dystrophic calcification, a rare cause of fetal cardiac masses, is presented. METHODS: The fetal echocardiography of a 26-year-old pregnant woman who was referred to the Pediatric Cardiology Department at 20 weeks' gestation revealed an echogenic mass in the post wall of the left ventricle. RESULTS: ...

BACKGROUND: Magnetocardiography and M-mode fetal echocardiography are non-invasive techniques capable of identifying fetal arrhythmias. The STAN-fetal scalp electrode system can record the fetal echocardiogram in labor. CASE: A patient was admitted to hospital with preterm contractions and cervical insufficiency at 28 weeks of gestation. After treatment with a beta-sympathomimetic drug ...

The normal fetal cardiac rhythm is characterized by a regular heart rate ranging between 100 and 160 -180 beats/min with a normal 1: 1 atrioventricular electromechanical relationship during each cardiac cycle. Fetal tachycardia occurring in approximately 0.5% of all pregnancies and it is an important cause of fetal morbidity and ...

INTRODUCTION: Monitoring cardiac output (CO) may allow early detection of haemodynamic instability, aiming to reduce morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Continuous cardiac output (CCO) monitoring is recommended in septic or postoperative patients with high incidences of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH). The aim of the present study was to compare ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of an abnormal fetal cardiac scan on the management of the pregnancy and the outcome of the newborn. METHODS: We reviewed all pregnancies that were referred to the Fetal Cardiac Unit for assessment to determine if the finding of a cardiac abnormality influenced the pregnancy ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the predictive value of fetal cardiac activity (FCA), measured at 6 weeks' gestation, on first-trimester pregnancy success after IVF. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: University-based reproductive endocrinology and infertility practice. PATIENT(S): One hundred thirty-nine women, without a history of recurrent miscarriage, who were undergoing fresh IVF cycles ...

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is uncommon in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) and it carries a high risk of fetal and maternal complications. Several reports have shown that application of an intensive dialysis regimen is associated with improved infant survival and better clinical conditions of the mother. METHODS: We report the case ...

INTRODUCTION: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an uncommon form of congestive heart failure, afflicting obstetric patients around the time of delivery. The epidemiology of PPCM is infrequently reported. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no report from Asia. OBJECTIVE: To define the prevalence, presentation and outcome of PPCM ...

Initial diagnosis of a fetal hemangioendothelioma of the liver was made at 28 + 1 weeks of gestation. Due to the growth of the liver tumor and increasing fetal cardiac load, 4 mg dexamethasone were administered daily from 32 + 3 to 36 + 6 weeks of gestation. With this ...

The load that maximizes mechanical power output (Pmax) has received considerable research attention owing to its perceived importance to training prescription. However, it may be that identifying Pmax is of little importance if the difference in power output about Pmax is insubstantial. Additionally, comparing the effect of load on power ...

INTRODUCTION: Junctional tachycardia (JT) and atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) can be difficult to differentiate. Yet, the two arrhythmias require distinct diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. We explored the utility of the delta H-A interval as a novel technique to differentiate these two tachycardias. METHODS: We included 35 patients undergoing electrophysiology ...

We report a case of transmural echogenic atria diagnosed in a fetus at 22 weeks' gestation. Fetal echocardiography showed echogenicity of the right and left atrial free walls, septum secundum, and atrial appendages. Postnatal echocardiography at birth showed borderline echogenicity with absence of echogenicity on follow-up echocardiography. The differential diagnosis, ...

Fetal echocardiography remains the mainstay for diagnosis in those pregnancies identified to be at risk for congenital heart disease (CHD). Prenatal diagnosis of CHD remains essential to provide families with thorough pregnancy options as well as allow for transfer to facilities experienced in the management of pediatric cardiac disease in ...

Increasing numbers of women with complex congenital heart disease are reaching childbearing age. Pregnancy is a major issue in the management of adult congenital heart disease. Cardiac disease is one of the most common causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. Complications, such as growth retardation, preterm and premature birth and ...

Bartonellosis (Carrion's Disease) during pregnancy is associated with high rates of maternal and perinatal mortality. We report the immunological patterns in two cases of human bartonellosis during pregnancy. One patient had an uncomplicated course while the second patient developed life threatening anasarca and cardiac tamponade. The patient with a complicated ...

BACKGROUND: Prenatal cardiac interventions (PCI) for human fetal aortic valve (AoV) stenosis can reduce left ventricular hypoplasia and restore ventricular growth and function. However, 'freehand' needle delivery from the maternal skin through the uterine wall, fetal chest and ventricular apex to cross the fetal AoV remains technically challenging and time ...

OBJECTIVES: To investigate outcome of pregnancy and fertility in women with double outlet right ventricle (DORV). METHODS: Using 2 congenital heart disease registries, 21 female patients with DORV (aged 18-39 years) were retrospectively identified. Detailed recordings of each patient and their completed (>20 weeks gestation) pregnancies were recorded. RESULTS: Overall, ...

Maternal arrhythmias during pregnancy may jeopardize the health of both mother and fetus. The correct identification of the arrhythmia is critical in the pregnant patient. Treatment should be reserved for arrhythmias that are hemodynamically unstable or cause debilitating symptoms. When medications are deemed necessary, the physician should use as few ...

We examined the ability of cardiac endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) to couple myocardial oxygen consumption (MVo(2)) and oxygen delivery during pregnancy. Awake dogs were studied using echocardiography before and at 40 days, 50 days, and 60 days (60D) of pregnancy and at approximately 14 days postpartum. Left ventricular eNOS, ...

Ischemic heart disease and cardiomyopathy in pregnancy are both rare. Therefore, a high level of suspicion is required by the obstetric caregiver when women complain of the often vague symptoms that are indicative of these conditions. Early diagnosis, consultation with a cardiologist, and aggressive therapy are the keys to reducing ...

A search of peer-reviewed literature was conducted to identify reports that provide data on complications associated with pregnancy in women with structural congenital heart disease (CHD). This review describes the outcome of 2,491 pregnancies, including 377 miscarriages (15%) and 114 elective abortions (5%). Important cardiac complications were seen in 11% ...

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy in women with congenital aortic stenosis (AS) is associated with increased cardiac complications. Data on non-cardiac complications are limited, and this information is crucial for prenatal counselling and perinatal care. The aim of this study was to present the maternal and perinatal outcome of pregnancy in women with ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether improvements in sonographic technology would allow detection of embryonic demise at a crown-rump length (CRL) < 5 mm. STUDY DESIGN: A prospectively collected, computerized ultrasound database was queried for singleton gestations with CRL < or = 5 mm from January 2000 to February 2003. Embryonic viability ...

OBJECTIVE: Maternal cardiovascular adaptations to pregnancy are necessary for an adequate fetomaternal circulation. However, the time course of physiological haemodynamic changes during the second half of pregnancy remains unclear. Various methods, invasive and noninvasive, are described to measure these changes. The thoracic electrical bioimpedance (TEB) technique is a method which ...

INTRODUCTION: Conotruncal defects represent an anatomically heterogeneous group of cardiac malformations affecting the outflow tract of the ventricles and the arterial pole of the heart. The exact etiology of congenital heart diseases is unknown. CASE REPORT: A 31-year-old woman who had three offspring with complex conotruncal cardiac anomalies after consanguineous ...

Approximately 1% of pregnancies are affected by congenital or acquired cardiac disease. The obstetric care provider requires an understanding of the expected cardiorespiratory adaptations to pregnancy in order to anticipate when and how the cardiac patient may decompensate. Although the majority of women with cardiac disease in pregnancy can expect ...

Three- and 4-dimensional fetal echocardiography can be performed using novel algorithms. However, these algorithms assume that the spatial relationships among cardiac chambers and great vessels are constant throughout gestation. The objective of this study was to determine whether changes in fetal cardiac geometry occur during gestation. A cross-sectional study was ...

OBJECTIVE: This study defines the spatial relationship of the diagnostic planes of the fetal heart to the 4-chamber view plane in the second trimester of pregnancy as a first step in the automation process. METHODS: Three-dimensional static volumes of the fetal chest were acquired at the level of the 4-chamber ...

A term baby had cyanosis 2 hours after delivery; echocardiography showed hypoplastic left heart syndrome HLHS and valvular pulmonary stenosis PS. The opinions of the cardiac centers in Saudi Arabia were taken; however, the baby was not accepted probably because the associated PS made him a poor candidate for a ...

We report our recent experience with atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) diagnosed in utero. We reviewed fetal echocardiograms diagnosed with AVSD between November 2002 and November 2004, comparing fetuses with and without aneuploidy. We compared results with previous studies. Twenty (1.8%) fetuses had AVSD. Mean maternal age was 33 years (range ...

OBJECTIVE: The fetal heart is not studied routinely in the first trimester because of technical and time limitations. Our aim was to assess the feasibility of performing a fetal cardiac study in pregnancies referred for nuchal translucency (NT) screening, using high-frequency linear transabdominal transducers with a specific ultrasound preset. METHODS: ...

OBJECTIVE: Ultrasound examination for each and every pregnancy is being accepted as a standard practice worldwide, and prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) is improving due to both staff education and ultrasound equipment modernization. The objective of this study was to estimate the value and accuracy of fetal ...

Maternal Williams syndrome with their associated (cardiac) malformations is rarely encountered during pregnancy. We report on a patient with Williams syndrome who has had 3 live-birth pregnancies. Several noncardiac, mainly fetal, complications need to be anticipated: premature labor, intrauterine growth restriction with subsequent small-for-gestational-age offspring, and recurrence of congenital heart ...

OBJECTIVE: To review the procedures, results and follow-up of patients who underwent percutaneous device closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) during pregnancy. We report modifications made to the established technique that allowed absolute minimization of radiation exposure. Relevant management issues of this unusual presentation of cardiac disease in pregnancy ...

OBJECTIVE: It has been shown that the modified myocardial performance index (Mod-MPI) is associated with higher reproducibility than conventional MPI because it uses mitral and aortic valve 'clicks' to calculate each time period. We aimed to construct normal reference values for the Mod-MPI after 19 weeks' gestation. METHODS: The Mod-MPI ...

We investigate cardiovascular (CV) developmental physiology and biomechanics in order to understand the dramatic acquisition of form and function during normal development and to identify the adaptive mechanisms that allow embryos to survive adverse genetic and epigenetic events. Cardiovascular patterning, morphogenesis, and growth occur via highly conserved genetic mechanisms. Structural ...

We report the successful resuscitation of a 38-year-old woman in cardiac arrest following heterosexual intercourse 7 days after spontaneous abortion and an instrumental uterine evacuation. The collapse was thought to be due to venous air embolism (VAE). Her survival neurologically intact was attributed to appropriate first aid, pre-hospital and subsequent ...

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prenatal diagnosis and outcome of fetal cardiomyopathy (CM). METHODS: The charts, photographs and videotapes of all fetuses with CM, who were assessed during pregnancy at two referral centers, were reviewed. RESULTS: The diagnosis of CM was established in 12 fetuses. All had structurally normal hearts, and ...

A 24-year-old pregnant woman was referred to our hospital for the evaluation of her cardiac function. An electrocardiogram showed Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Echocardiography revealed prominent trabeculation and deep intertrabecular recesses at the left ventricular apex and mid-portion of the inferior and lateral wall, with an impaired ejection fraction. She was diagnosed ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the pharmacodynamic effects of furosemide in pregnancy. METHODS: Twenty-one pregnant women who received furosemide 20 mg daily had cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), and total peripheral resistance (TPR) measured by Doppler technique before and after treatment. RESULTS: Furosemide was initiated at 22.4 +/- 6.0 weeks gestation. ...

OBJECTIVE: To study the diagnostic value of fetal echocardiography in detecting congenital heart disease (CHD) during the prenatal period. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-seven pregnant women with a high risk of prenatal CHD of their fetuses were included in this study. The fetal heart was scanned with echocardiography, performing complete ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the fetal outcome of three hypertensive women exposed to amlodipine. 5 mg/day, in the first trimester of pregnancy. CASE 1: The patient was treated with amlodipine until 7 weeks of gestation. She was also exposed to levosulpiride, aluminum hydroxide gel, magnesium carbonate, and Ginkgo biloba. At 38(+3) ...

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy represents a genetic disorder characterized by hypertrophy, usually asymmetrical, of the ventricular musculature at the base of the septum in the left ventricular efflux tract. Patients suffering from this disorder can be extremely sensitive to small alterations in ventricular volumes, arterial pressure, cardiac frequency and rhythm. This ...

Fetal cardiac time intervals (fCTI) are dependent on fetal growth and development, and may reveal useful information for fetuses affected by growth retardation, structural cardiac defects or long QT syndrome. Fetal cardiac signals with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of at least 15 dB were retrieved from fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG) datasets ...