Vein of Galen Malformation Masquerading as Neonatal Respiratory Distress
Abstract
Vein of Galen malformation (VoGM) is a rare congenital vascular anomaly. It represents a well-recognized extracardiac cause of high-output cardiac failure in the neonatal period. We report a case of a 3.5-month-old boy who presented for routine vaccination and was incidentally found to have macrocephaly (head circumference 44.5 cm, >99th percentile) with early sun-setting eyes. He was otherwise well-appearing with a normal neurological examination. Bedside cranial ultrasound revealed bilateral lateral and third ventricular dilation with a cystic mass compressing the aqueduct, and brain MRI confirmed a dilated cystic malformation of the vein of Galen as the cause of obstructive hydrocephalus. His past medical history was significant for severe neonatal respiratory distress complicated by pulmonary hypertension and congestive heart failure, initially attributed to neonatal pneumonia. This case highlights that VoGM should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neonatal persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) and high-output heart failure, even when a concurrent respiratory illness is present, and emphasizes the value of bedside cranial Doppler ultrasound and thorough physical examination including fontanel auscultation.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Drug repositioning: a brief overview
- Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in Drosophila melanogaster
- Time-resolved in silico modeling of fine-tuned cAMP signaling in platelets: feedback loops, titrated phosphorylations and pharmacological modulation
- Current View on Green Tea Catechins Formulations, Their Interactions with Selected Drugs, and Prospective Applications for Various Health Conditions
- In silico Structure-based Identification of Novel Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors Against Alzheimer’s Disease
- Development and In Vitro Evaluation of Controlled Release Viagra® Containing Poloxamer-188 Using Gastroplus™ PBPK Modeling Software for In Vivo Predictions and Pharmacokinetic Assessments
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.