A Rare Side Effect of Diazoxide Therapy: Pulmonary Hipertension

We present a newborn diagnosed with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and hypoglycemia, and developed pulmonary hypertension due to initiated diazoxide treatment because of these indications. Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome was considered due to abdominal wall defect, macrosomia, macroglossia and hypoglycemia in a 34 week newborn with respiratory distress, hypoglycemia and syndromic appearance. Blood glucose level was measured as 1 mg/dL. Oral feeding, glucose infusion, prednisolone and then diazoxide treatment were started. At the first admission transthoracic echocardiographic examination, ventricular and atrial septal defects were detected. Control echocardiography performed under diazoxide treatment, showed development of enlarged right heart chambers, severe tricuspid regurgitation, and pulmonary hypertension. The development of pulmonary hypertension was thought to be related to diazoxide treatment. Diazoxide was discontinued after the patient became normoglycemic during follow--up period. Subsequently performed echocardiography revealed that the systolic pulmonary artery pressure regressed to 20 mmHg, and cardiac chambers returned to their physiologic balance. The patient without any problem during monitorization was discharged with the recommendation to attend further controls visits. In this case report, it was aimed to be reminded that pulmonary hypertension can develop due to diazoxide treatment, and it can regress with discontinuation of diazoxide. Besides, transthoracic ECHO should be performed to check for the development of pulmonary hypertension in newborns treated with diazoxide.