Korean J Leg Med.  2002 May;26(1):86-90.

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: A Case Report

• Han DH
• Lee H
• Lee BW
• Seo JS
• Lee WT

Abstract

A neonate was dead 2 days after birth. He seemed to be healthy at birth. In autopsy we revealed severe aortic valve hypoplasia, hypoplasia of the ascending aorta, stenosis of the mitral valve and hypoplasia of the left ventricle. Multiple obstructions in the left heart-aorta complex have been associated with poor survival. We diagnosed this case as hypoplastic left heart syndrome(HLHS). Prenatal diagnosis using echocardiography can identify the fetus that has complex congenital heart disease and may improve early management and surgical outcome such as HLHS. Though HLHS can be frequently diagnosed prenatally, this has not been shown to improve surgical outcome. In forensic medicine field, we propose clinicians to use prenatal diagnostic instrument such as echocardiography to detect HLHS and the forensic pathologists should know HLHS as a primary cause of death of neonate who had normal appearances at birth. Here we report a case of HLHS and review articles.

Keyword

Neonate; HLHS; Autopsy

MeSH Terms

Aorta
Aortic Valve
Autopsy
Cause of Death
Constriction, Pathologic
Echocardiography
Fetus
Forensic Medicine
Heart
Heart Defects, Congenital
Heart Ventricles
Humans
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome*
Infant, Newborn
Mitral Valve
Parturition
Prenatal Diagnosis