Elevated fetal middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity in diabetes type 1 patient: a case report

Objectives: Doppler measurement of fetal middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity (MCA-PSV) is used to screen fetuses at risk of developing fetal anemia. This screening tool has demonstrated to be accurate to estimate the likelihood of fetal anemia and it has been used in the management of fetuses at this risk. It is rare to find in the literature cases of increased MCA-PSV in the absence of fetal anemia. We present the case of an elevated MCA-PSV in the absence of common causes of fetal anemia. Case presentation: A 30-year-old woman at 21 weeks of gestation was referred to our unit with a left fetal renal agenesis and single umbilical artery diagnosis. The patient had a poorly controlled type 1 Diabetes with a booking HbA1C of 9.1%. At 31 weeks of gestation, MCA-PSV was raised (>1.5 multiples of the median) in the absence of any cause of fetal anemia and discrepancy of ventricular size with normal fetal heart function were seen. In a subsequent scan, thick interventricular septum was seen and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) was suggested. Follow-up ultrasonography showed a persistent MCA-PSV in a large for gestation age (LGA) fetus with HC. Due to the prenatal diagnosis of persistent elevated MCA-PSV in LGA fetus with diagnoses of HC in a poorly controlled type 1 diabetic patient labor was induced after fetal lung maturation. Biventricular hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was detected after birth. Conclusions: HC may be an explanation for increased MCA-PSV without fetal anemia.