Pediatrics & Neonatology
Volume 51, Issue 4 , Pages 245-248, August 2010

Neonate With Severe Heart Failure Related to Vein of Galen Malformation

  • Meng-Yu Chen

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital and Medical College, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Hon-Man Liu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital and Medical College, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Wen-Chin Weng

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital and Medical College, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Shinn-Forng Peng

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital and Medical College, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • En-Ting Wu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital and Medical College, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Shuenn-Nan Chiu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital and Medical College, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Chung-San South Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan

Received 17 June 2009; received in revised form 13 August 2009; accepted 4 September 2009.

Article Outline

We report a full-term female neonate who presented with respiratory distress and severe heart failure soon after birth. Heart failure secondary to perinatal infection was initially suspected. Subsequent echocardiography revealed aortic runoff, which led to consideration of an intracranial vascular abnormality. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain confirmed a diagnosis of vein of Galen aneurismal malformation (VGAM). Endovascular coil embolization of the vascular anomaly was performed, resulting in improvement of heart failure. VGAM should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neonatal congestive heart failure with a structurally normal heart. Urgent endovascular embolization and aggressive medical treatment of heart failure improve prognosis in neonatal VGAM.

Key Words:  heart failure , neonates , therapeutic embolization , vein of Galen malformation

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PII: S1875-9572(10)60047-2

doi:10.1016/S1875-9572(10)60047-2

Pediatrics & Neonatology
Volume 51, Issue 4 , Pages 245-248, August 2010

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