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Fetal pulmonary venous flow pattern is determined by left atrial pressure: report of two cases of left heart hypoplasia, one with patent and the other with closed interatrial communication
Author(s) -
Lenz F.,
Machlitt A.,
Hartung J.,
Bollmann R.,
Chaoui R.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.202
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1469-0705
pISSN - 0960-7692
DOI - 10.1046/j.1469-0705.2002.00684.x
Subject(s) - medicine , foramen ovale (heart) , cardiology , fetus , hypoplasia , foramen secundum , interatrial septum , patent foramen ovale , central venous pressure , primary interatrial foramen , anatomy , left atrium , blood pressure , pregnancy , heart rate , atrial fibrillation , migraine , biology , genetics
We report two cases of fetal left heart hypoplasia with extremes of size of interatrial communication, i.e. a closed foramen ovale and an atrial septal defect. Doppler examinations of the pulmonary veins showed almost to and fro flow in the fetus with the closed foramen ovale and, in contrast, a normal flow velocity waveform in the fetus with the atrial septal defect, despite mitral atresia. Our observations support the importance of left atrial pressure in the creation of a pulmonary venous flow pattern in the fetus. Copyright © 2002 ISUOG