[Fetal cardiac rhabdomyoma as a rare cause of hydrops fetalis. A report of a case].

Cardiac tumors are rare entities at any age. The reported incidence in fetal echocardiograms is 0.17%. This case report presents the detection of a cardiac rhabdomyoma in a 27.5 weeks of gestational age (WGA) fetus during a routine sonogram. Treatment with terbutaline, as a cardiac inotropic and chronotropic agent, was started because of fetal bradichardia of 86 beats per minute, as well as fetal lung maturity inductors. At 30 WGA furosemide was added because of fetal hydrops. At 32 WGA a cesarean section was performed. The fetal development at the time of birth was in accordance to the gestational age, the newborn weight was 1,820 g and the Apgar score was 1-0, at one and five minutes after delivery. The newborn died immediately after the interruption of the umbilical circulation, because of a 90% obstruction of the left ventricular cavity caused by the tumor. The present case is an evidence of the utility of a medical treatment in a severely ill fetus, that allowed it to continue with its normal development for four weeks after the diagnosis and opens the possibility for fetal medical therapy in the future for similar cases.