1996 Volume 36 Issue 12 Pages 893-900
A male neonate with vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation developed fetal heart failure after a gestation period of 37 weeks. Labor was induced, but a cesarean section had to be performed because of fetal distress. His Apgar scores were 2/8 at birth. The boy required controlled ventilation due to generalized seizure and cyanosis. Neuroimaging revealed vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation with enormous arteriovenous shunt flows. Transarterial embolization was performed on days 4 and 6 to reduce the progressive high-output congestive heart failure. Three large feeders were occluded with interlocking detachable coils, markedly reducing the shunt flow. Although heart failure improved markedly, he died of pulmonary hemorrhage on day 12. Endovascular surgery can improve the prognosis of heart failure in the neonatal period less invasively than other treatment modalities, and may help to minimize ischemic brain damage and thus increase the possibility of normal brain maturation.
