Intra-abdominal umbilical vein varix associated with fetal cardiac failure: a pitfall to the prenatal diagnosis of α-zero-thalassemia.

Hydrops fetalis related to homozygous α-thalassemia is a rare condition in Western Europe. We report a case of fetal cardiac failure that occurred after a second-trimester diagnosis of fetal umbilical vein aneurysm that was postnatally related to α-thalassemia.