The diagnosis and management of long QT syndrome based on fetal echocardiography

Introduction Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a disorder of cardiac repolarization that affects approximately 1 in 2500 individuals and is associated with syncope and sudden cardiac death. Over the past several decades, advances in clinical diagnosis— combined with gene-directed antiarrhythmic therapies and cardiac device management—have improved the outcome of this life-threatening disorder. Although early detection of the disorder is paramount, timely diagnosis by fetal echocardiography still remains a significant challenge. The present case characterizes the utility of fetal echocardiography for the diagnosis and subsequent management of congenital LQTS.