IN-UTERO MANAGEMENT OF HYDROPS-FETALIS CAUSED BY CRITICAL AORTIC-STENOSIS

Hydrops fetalis is rarely associated with congestive heart failure cau sed by obstructive left-sided heart lesions. There are rare cases of l ive born neonates with critical congenital valvar aortic stenosis and hydrops reported in the literature, all with fatal outcomes. This repo rt describes, to the best of our knowledge, the first two newborns who were diagnosed prenatally to have hydrops fetalis caused by critical valvar aortic stenosis, who were treated prenatally with digoxin and w ho postnatally had successful percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplast y. Both patients had not only left but right ventricular dysfunction. We speculate that right ventricular dysfunction was a contributing fac tor in the development of hydrops in these patients and in utero medic al therapy with digoxin is associated with resolution of the hydrops b efore delivery.