PP138. Human fetal malformations associated with the use of angiotensin II receptor antagonist.

Introduction: antagonists of angiotensin II receptor (AAR) are commonly used for the treatment of chronic hypertension in the general population. Some of these pharmacological agents are losartan, candesartan, valsartan and tasosartan. Despite the good response achieved with these drugs in the control of hypertension, all medications that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system should be contraindicated during pregnancy. These drugs have been associated with fetal and neonatal injury, including hypotension, neonatal skull hypoplasia, anuria, reversible or irreversible renal failure and death.Here we report a case of fetal malformations and death associated with the use of losartan.
Objectives: describing the association of fetal malformations and the use of losartan during first and second trimester of pregnancy.
Methods: this is a case report involving a 37-year-old pregnant woman at 26 gestational weeks. This patient had history of chronic hypertension for more than five years that was being regularly treated with Losartan 50mg/day. After her first consultation losartan was promptly discontinued and substituted for methyldopa. However, scan evaluation demonstrated severe oligohydramnios associated with altered fetal biophysical profile and altered Doppler fluxometry (absent diastolic flow at umbilical arteries). Therefore, a cesarean-section was performed after corticoid administration for fetal lung maturation. At first moment some characteristic alterations as fetal limb contractures and craniofacial deformation were detected at the 1007g new-born. This baby went to death 36h after delivery due to severe lung hypoplasia.
Results: the autopsy examination revealed renal tubular dysgenesis associated with changes secondary to nephropathy, probably induced by drug (Fig. 1). Associated findings were underdevelopment of bones of the skull with large fontanelles, thymus atrophy and signs of perinatal hypoxia.
Conclusion: the difficulty of attending basic health assistance was attributed to be associated with this case, as this patient did not have opportunity and sufficient information about the necessity of changing her medication during pregnancy. Apart from this situation, this case report brings good information about the association between antagonists of angiotensin II receptor and human fetal malformations.
(Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.)