Clinical features and pregnancy outcomes in women with aortopulmonary window defect: case series.

Abstract

Background:

Aortopulmonary window is a rare congenital heart defect that results in severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), Eisenmenger syndrome, and congestive heart failure in the first months of life. Pregnancy is absolutely contraindicated in the patients with this condition.

Case summary:

This paper describes two clinical cases of pregnancy in patients (28 and 20 years old) with aortopulmonary window defect, severe PAH, and Eisenmenger syndrome that ended in preterm delivery by caesarean section. One patient died in the postpartum period due to progression of right ventricular heart failure. The younger patient survived childbirth and the postpartum period; later, she continued therapy at the PAH centre.

Discussion:

We describe unusual cases of clinical features in pregnant women with aortopulmonary window defect. Due to the rare occurrence and low survival rate of patients with uncorrected aortopulmonary window defect, descriptions of clinical cases of this defect in adults are very rare. It is very important to note the necessity of observation of these patients in specialized centres by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, due to the high risk of cardiovascular, obstetric complications, and death.

• Authors: Giunai Gahraman Sefiyeva, Diana Sergeevna Malishevskaya, Aigul Nasiridinovna Chynybekova, Andrey Evgenievich Bautin, Ulyana Mikhailovna Shadrina, Daria Vladimirovna Alekseeva, Ekaterina Leonidovna Urumova, Olga Borisovna Irtyuga
• Journal: European heart journal. Case reports (Eur Heart J Case Rep) Vol. 7 Issue 10 Pg. ytad501 (Oct 2023) ISSN: 2514-2119 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 37900666 (Publication Type: Case Reports)
• Copyright: © The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.