Treasure to the mother and threat to the fetus: case report of warfarin-associated fetal intracranial hemorrhage and review of literature

In patients with mechanical heart valve protheses, warfarin is usually recommended because of its exceptional anticoagulation effects. However, warfarin can cross the placenta, leading to teratogenicity and even catastrophic hemorrhage in the fetus. The present article describes a case of warfarin-a...

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Main Authors: Dan Shan, Yurou Ji, Yayi Hu, Tao Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2023-08-01
Series:Journal of International Medical Research
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/03000605231192773
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author Dan Shan
Yurou Ji
Yayi Hu
Tao Li
author_facet Dan Shan
Yurou Ji
Yayi Hu
Tao Li
author_sort Dan Shan
collection DOAJ
description In patients with mechanical heart valve protheses, warfarin is usually recommended because of its exceptional anticoagulation effects. However, warfarin can cross the placenta, leading to teratogenicity and even catastrophic hemorrhage in the fetus. The present article describes a case of warfarin-associated fetal intracranial hemorrhage. The patient was a woman in her early 30s. At the age of 11 years, she had undergone aortic valve replacement (mechanical) for aortic regurgitation. Since then, she had been taking oral warfarin. During her pregnancy, her prothrombin time–international normalized ratio was maintained between 1.5 and 2.5. At 35 weeks of gestation, fetal ultrasonography revealed an intracranial mass in the left hemisphere. An emergency cesarean section was performed because fetal intracranial hemorrhage was suspected. A male infant was delivered with a 1- 5-, and 10-minute Apgar score of 1, 5, and 7, respectively. Cranial computed tomography revealed multiple hemorrhage sites with newly emerged bleeding spots. In patients with mechanical heart valve protheses, obstetricians face the dilemma of individual-patient differences and the difficulty of intensive monitoring of the coagulation parameters in the fetus. Tailor-made anticoagulation therapy and a more intensive ultrasonic monitoring strategy, even that involving regular magnetic resonance imaging, are necessary in these patients.
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spelling doaj.art-2bb177d9514c44968cbc4c3b767affb22023-08-13T07:03:21ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of International Medical Research1473-23002023-08-015110.1177/03000605231192773Treasure to the mother and threat to the fetus: case report of warfarin-associated fetal intracranial hemorrhage and review of literatureDan ShanYurou JiYayi HuTao LiIn patients with mechanical heart valve protheses, warfarin is usually recommended because of its exceptional anticoagulation effects. However, warfarin can cross the placenta, leading to teratogenicity and even catastrophic hemorrhage in the fetus. The present article describes a case of warfarin-associated fetal intracranial hemorrhage. The patient was a woman in her early 30s. At the age of 11 years, she had undergone aortic valve replacement (mechanical) for aortic regurgitation. Since then, she had been taking oral warfarin. During her pregnancy, her prothrombin time–international normalized ratio was maintained between 1.5 and 2.5. At 35 weeks of gestation, fetal ultrasonography revealed an intracranial mass in the left hemisphere. An emergency cesarean section was performed because fetal intracranial hemorrhage was suspected. A male infant was delivered with a 1- 5-, and 10-minute Apgar score of 1, 5, and 7, respectively. Cranial computed tomography revealed multiple hemorrhage sites with newly emerged bleeding spots. In patients with mechanical heart valve protheses, obstetricians face the dilemma of individual-patient differences and the difficulty of intensive monitoring of the coagulation parameters in the fetus. Tailor-made anticoagulation therapy and a more intensive ultrasonic monitoring strategy, even that involving regular magnetic resonance imaging, are necessary in these patients.https://doi.org/10.1177/03000605231192773
spellingShingle Dan Shan
Yurou Ji
Yayi Hu
Tao Li
Treasure to the mother and threat to the fetus: case report of warfarin-associated fetal intracranial hemorrhage and review of literature
Journal of International Medical Research
title Treasure to the mother and threat to the fetus: case report of warfarin-associated fetal intracranial hemorrhage and review of literature
title_full Treasure to the mother and threat to the fetus: case report of warfarin-associated fetal intracranial hemorrhage and review of literature
title_fullStr Treasure to the mother and threat to the fetus: case report of warfarin-associated fetal intracranial hemorrhage and review of literature
title_full_unstemmed Treasure to the mother and threat to the fetus: case report of warfarin-associated fetal intracranial hemorrhage and review of literature
title_short Treasure to the mother and threat to the fetus: case report of warfarin-associated fetal intracranial hemorrhage and review of literature
title_sort treasure to the mother and threat to the fetus case report of warfarin associated fetal intracranial hemorrhage and review of literature
url https://doi.org/10.1177/03000605231192773
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