Different vasodilatation characteristics among the main cerebral arteries in fetuses with congenital heart defects

To observe Doppler changes in the three main cerebral arteries in fetuses with congenital heart defects (CHDs). The pulsatility index (PI) values of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), and posterior cerebral artery (PCA) were prospectively compared in 78 CHD fetuses and 78 normal control fetuses. Correlations between the cerebral artery PIs and the neurodevelopment scores (psychomotor development index [PDI] and mental development index [MDI]) were assessed. The MCA-PI was decreased significantly in fetuses with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). The ACA-PI was reduced significantly in fetuses with HLHS, fetuses with left-sided obstructive lesions (LSOLs) and fetuses with transposition of the great arteries. The PCA-PI was significantly smaller in fetuses with HLHS and fetuses with LSOLs. More fetuses presented signs of cerebral vasodilatation of the ACA than the MCA for certain types of CHD (P < 0.05). The ACA-PI was positively correlated with the PDI and MDI scores in fetuses with CHDs (r(2) = 0.26, 0.20, P < 0.01). The MCA-PI was only positively correlated with the PDI scores (r(2) = 0.15, P < 0.01). The ACA exhibited signs of vasodilatation more frequently and severely than the MCA. The ACA-PI appears to be more sensitive for predicting abnormal neurodevelopmental outcomes than the MCA-PI.