Assessment of cardiomyopathy in fetuses of women with false positive oral glucose loading test

Objective

To evaluate fetal asymmetric septal hypertrophy in women with a false positive oral glucose loading test (OGL).

Study design

OGL was applied to 79 pregnant women at gestational age between 24 and 28 weeks. The first study group consisted of patients with a normal OGL. Cases having glucose levels above 130 mg/dL after 50 g OGL but a normal 100 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) formed a second group. M-mode echocardiography was then performed. Fetal septal and left ventricular posterior wall (LVPW) thicknesses in Group 1 and Group 2 were compared.

Results

Mean septal and LVPW thickness was slightly higher in the second group but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups.

Conclusions

Although statistically not significant, there is some increase in septal and ventricular wall thickness in cases with high OGL but normal OGTT. The study also provides evidence of the absence of prominent septal and ventricular thickening in these cases with minimal glucose intolerance.