Quantification of Feto-fetal Transfusion Rate through a Single Placental Arterio-venous Anastomosis in a Monochorionic Twin Pregnancy

Abstract

Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is due to unbalanced inter-twin blood flow through placental vascular anastomoses. We present a TTTS-case treated with fetoscopic laser surgery that allowed us to calculate the net inter-twin blood flow. In the weeks following laser treatment, the ex-recipient developed severe fetal anemia and was treated with two intrauterine adult red cell transfusions (at 26 and 29 weeks' gestation, respectively). After birth, placental injection with color-latex identified a single residual arterio-venous anastomosis from the ex-recipient to the ex-donor. We measured the fetal and adult hemoglobin concentrations in the anemic fetus before and after both intrauterine transfusions, and in both twins at birth. On the basis of these measurements, we calculated the blood flow across the residual arterio-venous anastomosis and found it to be 5.8 ± 1.5 mL/24 h after the 1st transfusion and 11.4 ± 2.9 mL/24 h after the 2nd transfusion.