Antenatal diagnosis and treatment of a case of fetal goitrous hypothyroidism associated with high-output cardiac failure

Abstract

A case of fetal goitrous hypothyroidism associated with high-output cardiac failure is presented. At 32 weeks of gestation, the antenatal diagnosis of goiter was made based on ultrasound examination, and the fetal thyroid function was examined by amniocentesis and cordocentesis. Color and pulsed Doppler examinations demonstrated a high vascular flow pattern in the goiter and marked elevation of the maximum velocity in the common carotid artery at the level of the neck. It was suspected that arteriovenous shunting through the large goiter resulted in high-output cardiac failure with cardiomegaly and pleural effusion. The fetus was treated by injection of levothyroxine sodium into the amniotic fluid at 33 weeks of gestation and the goiter thereafter decreased in size, with subsequent improvement of the high-output cardiac failure. The maximum velocity in the common carotid artery fell rapidly before the shrinkage of the fetal goiter and in parallel with the fetal level of thyroid stimulating hormone.