PRENATAL ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSIS OF CEREBRAL ARTERIOVENOUS-FISTULA

Background: We describe a case of arteriovenous fistula of the middle and posterior cerebral arteries detected in a fetus. Case: Fetal echoc ardiography revealed a high-output cardiac failure. Color Doppler ultr asound demonstrated an arteriovenous fistula, localized at the middle and posterior cerebral arteries, which drained in a large venous aneur ysm occupying the posterior fossa. The aneurysm caused cerebellar disl ocation and temporal lobe hypoplasia. Necropsy after pregnancy termina tion confirmed the ultrasound findings. Conclusion: This case demonstr ates that malformation of a fetal cerebral artery can lead to brain hy poplasia and thus to severe mental handicap. This possibility needs to be considered in patient counseling.