CONGENITAL LEFT-VENTRICULAR ANEURYSM CAUSING HYDROPS-FETALIS - PRENATAL-DIAGNOSIS WITH COLOR DOPPLER ULTRASONOGRAPHY

Congenital left ventricular aneurysm is a rare condition characterized by a protrusion or outpouching of a portion of the ventricular wall w ith broad connection to the ventricular cavity, which may or may not b e associated with paradoxical systolic expansion. Only four cases of c ongenital left ventricular aneurysm diagnosed by prenatal ultrasonogra phy have been reported so far, with the earliest diagnosis at 26 weeks ' gestation.(1-3) In all four cases the pregnancy proceeded uneventful ly to term, and all neonates were asymptomatic after birth and at foll ow-up examination between 4 months and 2 years.(1-3) In this report we describe a case of fetal hydrops secondary to a left ventricular aneu rysm diagnosed at 19 weeks' gestation. To our knowledge, this is the f irst case in which a congenital cardiac aneurysm resulted in severe fe tal compromise.