Prenatal Finding of Foramen Ovale Aneurysm Causing Mitral Valve Obstruction

Abstract

Foramen ovale aneurysm was first documented in 1966. In the case presented, the aneurysm caused restriction of flow across the mitral valve, which in turn caused cardiac ventricular disproportion. Cardiac ventricular disproportion is defined as any subjective visual difference between the right and left chambers of the heart. During the patient’s detailed sonogram, a prominent pericardial effusion was documented; the patient was then scheduled to return for a fetal echocardiogram. During the fetal echocardiogram, ventricular disproportion was noticed, and upon further examination, a foramen ovale aneurysm was detected. At birth, the infant presented with respiratory difficulty, failure to respond to oxygen, and pulmonary hypertension.