Fetal endocarditis in left atrial isomerism - a case report.

We report a case of fetal endocarditis coexisting with a congenital heart defect: a common atrium (left atrial isomerism) with complete congenital heart block. The case was studied by echocardiography from 32 to 39 weeks of gestation. A postmortem examination was carried out a few hours after Cesarean section. The autopsy, histopathological and immunohistochemical findings revealed endocarditis. We think that abnormal turbulent systolic and diastolic flow of the semilunar valve, seen in fetal Doppler echocardiography, may be a sign of fetal endocarditis even though clear evidence of vegetations were not seen. Copyright 1993 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology