Pregnancy and Cardiovascular Risk for Women with Turner Syndrome

Abstract

Most women with Turner syndrome (TS) are infertile due to primary ovarian failure. However, approximately 5% experience spontaneous pregnancy, and recently, more women with TS have used assisted reproductive technology with donated oocytes (ART-OD) to become pregnant. The first generation of Turner patients undergoing ART-OD demonstrated a high rate of fatal aortic dissection in late pregnancy or postpartum. More recent observations, particularly from Nordic countries, suggest a lesser risk of dissection, but confirm a high rate of pre-eclampsia in ART-OD pregnancies. This article reviews publications since 2000 concerning maternal outcomes for pregnancies in women with TS to determine if specific risk factors such as type of pregnancy, age, or presence of underlying congenital cardiovascular disease may identify women at special risk.