Paladini D, Palmieri S, D'Angelo A, Martinelli P
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federico II University of Naples, Italy.
Obstet Gynecol. 1996 Oct;88(4 Pt 2):678-81. doi: 10.1016/0029-7844(96)00100-7.
We describe a case of arteriovenous fistula of the middle and posterior cerebral arteries detected in a fetus.
Fetal echocardiography revealed a high-output cardiac failure. Color Doppler ultrasound demonstrated an arteriovenous fistula, localized at the middle and posterior cerebral arteries, which drained in a large venous aneurysm occupying the posterior fossa. The aneurysm caused cerebellar dislocation and temporal lobe hypoplasia. Necropsy after pregnancy termination confirmed the ultrasound findings.
This case demonstrates that malformation of a fetal cerebral artery can lead to brain hypoplasia and thus to severe mental handicap. This possibility needs to be considered in patient counseling.
