Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2025

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Fetal Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome with Intact Atrial Septum: From Successful in utero Stenting to Subtotal Stent
Andreas Tulzer1,2, Iris Scharnreitner2,3, Eva Sames-Dolzer2,4
1Children's Heart Center Linz, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Kepler University Hospital, Linz, Austria.
Introduction:
Fetuses with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and intact atrial septum (IAS) have an overall poor prognosis and a high risk of neonatal death due to severe secondary lung damage. Intrauterine stenting of the atrial septum was introduced in these patients to enable survival.
Case Presentation:
We present a case of a HLHS fetus with IAS and signs of incipient nutmeg lung, in whom at 30 weeks gestation an atrial stent was successfully placed but continuously developed subtotal stent-obstruction over the next weeks.
Conclusion:
Continuous obstruction of placed atrial septum stents until delivery is possible and requires close monitoring of successfully treated fetuses.
Related Concept Videos
Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Mitral Stenosis I: Introduction

