Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026

Fetal Mouse Cardiovascular Imaging Using a High-frequency Ultrasound (30/45MHZ) System
Published on: May 5, 2018
Lethal fetal stroke in utero
Tzu-Hung Lin1, Chien-Nan Lee, Yi-Ning Su
1Dianthus Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic, Taipei City, Taiwan.
Objective:
Fetal intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in utero is a rare complication of pregnancy associated with subsequent neurological sequelae or fetal death.
Case Report:
A 34-year-old woman with Crohn's disease presented at 36 weeks' gestation due to decreased fetal movement. Fetal heart-rate tracing indicated poor beat-to-beat variability. In addition, a Doppler ultrasonography suggested a prenatal stroke with evidences of ICH, reverse-end diastolic velocity of the middle cerebral artery, and a persistent distended bladder. A nonaggressive treatment option was chosen after counseling about the unfavorable prognosis. However, 22 hours after her admission, intrauterine fetal death occurred.
Conclusion:
Fetal ICH in utero might be a rare yet lethal complication of Crohn's disease in pregnancy.
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