Saad Abdo, El-Husseini Nada, Nader Gilbert Abou, Gharzuddine Walid
American University of Beirut - Medical Center, P.O. Box 11-0236 Beirut, Lebanon.
Eur J Echocardiogr. 2006 Aug;7(4):332-5. doi: 10.1016/j.euje.2005.06.012. Epub 2005 Aug 10.
Amniotic fluid embolism is a catastrophic illness related to the passage of fetal material into the pulmonary circulation causing cardiovascular collapse.
A 29-year-old female sustained cardiopulmonary arrest during delivery presumably due to amniotic fluid embolism. A right atrial mass "in transit" was detected by echocardiography. It had an appearance and pattern of motion that was suggestive of a gelatinous consistency and is likely to have been an amniotic fluid embolus. There was also evidence of acute right ventricular overload.
We recommend that echocardiography be considered early on such conditions to gain more insight into the pathogenesis of this complication.
