Prenatal diagnosis of ventriculo-coronary communications in a second-trimester fetus using transvaginal and transabdominal color Doppler sonography

Abstract

We report on the prenatal diagnosis of ventriculo-coronary communication associated with pulmonary atresia and an intact interventricular septum. The diagnosis was made by transvaginal color Doppler sonography at 17 weeks' gestation and confirmed by transabdominal sonography at 19 weeks. Color Doppler demonstrated the communication between the distal hypoplastic right ventricle and the right coronary artery, with the course of this vessel situated along the outer heart wall. Spectral Doppler assessment showed bidirectional arterial flow in this vessel. Extracardiac skeletal anomalies (cleft hands and feet) were also detected and classified as an ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia clefting (EEC) syndrome. This led the parents to opt for termination of pregnancy. All findings were confirmed on autopsy. Using stereomicroscopy the malformations of the coronary system and main connections to the lumen of the right ventricle were additionally demonstrated. To our knowledge this is the first report on the identification of coronary artery malformations in a midtrimester fetus using transvaginal color Doppler. The early appearance enabled us to investigate the pathophysiological sequence of the combined defect. Further investigation might elucidate whether ventriculo-coronary communications arise secondary to pulmonary atresia and intact inter-ventricular septum, due to increased ventricular pressure, or are the primary defect leading to intrauterine pulmonary atresia or, indeed, whether both defects appear simultaneously.