Congenital endocardial cushion defect detected during uncomplicated pregnancy: a case report

The first symptoms of previously undiagnosed congenital heart disease may become apparent during pregnancy. It is important to recognize structural heart lesions since they require additional monitoring during the prenatal, peripartum, and postpartum periods and are associated with increased maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality.

We report a case of a new diagnosis of an endocardial cushion defect in an otherwise healthy woman in her third trimester whose presenting complaint was dyspnea in the left lateral decubitus position.

We located only one other case report of a congenital heart lesion first diagnosed during pregnancy. While rare, since the signs and symptoms of congenital heart disease may also occur in normal pregnant women, it is important for the clinician to be aware that structural heart lesions are part of the differential diagnosis.