Key result
Severe tricuspid valve regurgitation in 7 fetuses was associated with an atypical ductus venosus blood flow pattern characterized by impaired systolic forward flow.
Case Report (n=7)
Fetuses with severe tricuspid regurgitation can exhibit atypical ductus venosus flow patterns that artificially improve venous pulsatility indices, necessitating careful color Doppler echocardiography.
Requires cautious ductus venosus interpretation in severe fetal tricuspid regurgitation; hypothesis-generating case report leaves open prospective validation.
We observed seven cases of atypical ductus venosus (DV) blood flow velocity waveform pattern with impairment of systolic forward flow resulting in a notch or a significant reduction in peak velocity during the S-wave in systole. All affected fetuses had severe tricuspid valve regurgitation associated with congestive heart failure and/or cardiac malformations. The decrease in venous systolic forward flow modulates the venous pulsatility indices towards more favorable values and should be considered when fetuses with tricuspid regurgitation are followed by Doppler assessment of the DV. Detection of these changes in the DV flow profile should prompt detailed color Doppler echocardiography with special emphasis on right atrioventricular valve regurgitation.
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Smrcek et al. (2005) conducted a case report in Severe tricuspid valve regurgitation in fetuses (n=7). Severe tricuspid valve regurgitation was evaluated on Atypical ductus venosus blood flow velocity waveform pattern. Severe tricuspid valve regurgitation in 7 fetuses was associated with an atypical ductus venosus blood flow pattern characterized by impaired systolic forward flow.
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