Modified underlying cardiac disease severity in twin-twin transfusion syndrome

Abstract

Twin-twin transfusion syndrome or related conditions affect fetal loading. We report monochorionic-diamniotic twins. Twin 1 had Ebstein anomaly with mild tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and slightly thickened tricuspid valve leaflets with plastering. Twin 2 had tricuspid valve dysplasia (with abnormal thickening but without plastering) with moderate TR and mild right atrial dilatation. After birth, the severity of TR was greatly reduced in the recipient but increased in the donor. Therefore, intravascular volume change which was due to twin-twin transfusion syndrome seemed to affect the severity of the valvar disease in fetuses. This case suggests that the intrinsic severity of fetal tricuspid valvular disease may be overestimated in the recipient and underestimated in the donor twin. These factors need to be taken into consideration in clinical decision-making.

Keywords

• Fetal echocardiography
• tricuspid insufficiency
• twin amniotic fluid discordance
• twin-twin transfusion syndrome