Prenatal diagnosis of fetal atrioventricular heart block

Abstract

Fetal atrioventricular heart block (FAVB) is the most com­mon­ly observed type of fetal bradycardia, and is potentially life-threatening. This condition occurs when there is a block­­age in the electrical pathway between the atria and the ven­­tri­­cles of the heart, which can cause the heart to beat too slow or irregularly. This can lead to a range of complications, in­­clu­­ding heart failure, stroke and even death. This pa­per pre­­sents some interesting pictures of FAVB in cases as­so­cia­ted with autoimmune diseases and also some nor­mal re­cor­dings in the hope of a better understanding of this con­di­tion. We intend to provide some usefully vi­sual in­for­ma­tion for clinicians involved in the management of fetal car­dio­vas­cu­lar disorder. The correct diagnosis using the right ul­tra­sound tools and the referral for an echo­car­dio­gra­phy are key factors for a proper management of this con­di­tion.