Prenatal Diagnosis of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformation With 3D/4D STIC Fetal Echocardiography.
Amit Kumar Pandey, Balu Vaidyanathan
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A fetus was diagnosed with pulmonary arteriovenous malformation at 21 weeks’ gestation during fetal echocardiography. Color Doppler showed turbulent swirling flow in the right pulmonary vein, and spectral Doppler demonstrated an arterialized pulmonary venous waveform. High-definition color Doppler and 3D/4D spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) rendering confirmed a fistulous connection between the right pulmonary artery and vein, consistent with a right-to-left shunt. The report emphasizes prenatal recognition to support serial surveillance, parental counseling, multidisciplinary perinatal planning, and early neonatal intervention.
What made this case unusual
The fetal malformation was identified prenatally using Doppler findings and 3D/4D STIC rendering to demonstrate the pulmonary artery–vein fistula.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
In suspected fetal PAVM, turbulent flow in a pulmonary vein and an arterialized venous waveform can prompt evaluation for a fistulous connection; 3D/4D STIC rendering helped confirm it in this case.
Why it matters
Prenatal recognition can inform surveillance, counseling, perinatal planning, and preparation for early neonatal intervention.