FE FE Cardiomyopathies & Tumors 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which cardiomyopathy pattern is most commonly associated with poorly controlled maternal diabetes?
- Dilated cardiomyopathy
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with septal hypertrophy (Correct answer)
- Restrictive cardiomyopathy
- Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
Correct answer: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with septal hypertrophy
Diabetic fetopathy causes fetal hyperinsulinism, leading to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with prominent interventricular septal hypertrophy.
Question 2: Fetal dilated cardiomyopathy is characterized by:
- Concentric wall thickening and preserved cavity size
- Ventricular dilation with reduced systolic function (Correct answer)
- Normal chamber sizes with diastolic dysfunction only
- Asymmetric septal hypertrophy
Correct answer: Ventricular dilation with reduced systolic function
Dilated cardiomyopathy features ventricular dilation, reduced fractional shortening, and impaired systolic function, often progressing to hydrops.
Question 3: Which infectious etiology is most commonly associated with fetal myocarditis leading to cardiomyopathy?
- Rubella
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
- Coxsackievirus B (Correct answer)
- Parvovirus B19
Correct answer: Coxsackievirus B
Coxsackievirus B is the most common viral cause of fetal myocarditis, which can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy and hydrops.
Question 4: Parvovirus B19 infection in the fetus primarily causes cardiac compromise through:
- Direct myocarditis
- Severe fetal anemia causing high-output cardiac failure (Correct answer)
- Coronary artery inflammation
- AV node destruction
Correct answer: Severe fetal anemia causing high-output cardiac failure
Parvovirus B19 infects fetal erythroid progenitors, causing aplastic anemia and secondary high-output cardiac failure and hydrops.
Question 5: The most common primary cardiac tumor in the fetus is:
- Fibroma
- Teratoma
- Rhabdomyoma (Correct answer)
- Hemangioma
Correct answer: Rhabdomyoma
Rhabdomyomas are the most common primary fetal cardiac tumors, often multiple, and strongly associated with tuberous sclerosis complex.
Question 6: Fetal cardiac rhabdomyomas are associated with which genetic condition in up to 80% of cases?
- Down syndrome (Trisomy 21)
- Turner syndrome
- Tuberous sclerosis complex (Correct answer)
- Noonan syndrome
Correct answer: Tuberous sclerosis complex
Up to 80% of fetuses with cardiac rhabdomyomas have or will develop tuberous sclerosis complex, a multisystem disorder caused by TSC1 or TSC2 mutations.
FE FE Cardiomyopathies & Tumors 1
Which cardiomyopathy pattern is most commonly associated with poorly controlled maternal diabetes?