A Trisomy 21 Neonate with Large Amount of Isolated Pericardial Effusion Seen on Antenatal Sonography

ABSTRACT

Fetal pericardial effusion appears as a common type of fetal hydrops, but rarely isolated. The causes are heart failure by cardiac anomaly and arrhythmia (most common), kidney anomaly, erythroblastosis fetalis, non-immune fetal hydrops, intrauterine growth retardation, chromosomal anomaly and transient etc. If chromosomal anomalies such as 21 trisomy, 18 trisomy or 13 trisomy exists, isolated pericardial effusion may exist without cardiac anomaly or arrhythmia. Otherwise, the chromosomal anomaly must be suspected when isolated pericardial effusion is observed on fetal echocardiography. We experienced a case of large amount of isolated pericardial effusion antenatally detected by fetal echocardiography at 32weeks of gestational age in a neonate who needed pericardiocentesis and confirmed trisomy 21. We report a case of isolated pericardial effusion with brief review of related literature.