Acute Pulmonary Edema in a Pregnant Patient with Undiagnosed Levo-Transposition of the Great Arteries

Patient: Female, 32 Final Diagnosis: Levo-transposition of the great arteries Symptoms: Shortness of breath Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Cesarian section Specialty: Anesthesiology OBJECTIVE: Challenging differential diagnosis BACKGROUND: Levo-transposition of the great arteries (L-TGA) is a rare form of congenital heart disease that may go unrecognized until adulthood. Parturient women with L-TGA have a high likelihood of developing acute pulmonary edema and cardiac dysrhythmias during the peri-partum period. CASE REPORT: We present the case of a 32-year-old primigravida patient with previously unknown diagnosis of L-TGA, presenting with preeclampsia, whose peri-partum course was complicated by the development of acute pulmonary edema, complete heart block, and acute hypoxic respiratory failure. CONCLUSIONS: This case report highlights the predisposition of parturient women with undiagnosed congenital heart disease to develop acute hypoxic respiratory failure in the perioperative period and the importance of meticulous fluid management in such patients.