In an unprecedented medical achievement described by experts as a "world first," a French medical team successfully saved the life of a fetus facing certain death in its mother's womb after being diagnosed with a rare and dangerous vascular tumor. This pioneering operation took place at a hospital in Mulhouse, eastern France, and offers hope for treating similar cases that were previously considered incurable.
Details of the serious diagnosis
The story began in the late seventh month of pregnancy when doctors discovered the fetus had Kasabach-Merritt syndrome. This rare condition is characterized by a large, rapidly growing hemangioma that consumes platelets and causes blood clots, posing a significant threat to the fetus's life. In this particular case, the tumor was located at the neck and growing rapidly towards the face, threatening to obstruct the fetus's airways and cause suffocation, according to Dr. Chris Minella, an obstetrician at the Mother and Child Hospital in Mulhouse.
Innovative transplacental treatment protocol
Faced with this critical situation, and instead of resorting to complex and high-risk fetal surgeries, the team consulted with Professor Laurent Guibault, an expert in vascular malformations from Lyon University Hospital. The medical team proposed an innovative treatment approach involving administering the drug sirolimus to the mother. This drug, typically used to prevent organ transplant rejection or to treat certain tumors, was used in this case to cross the placental barrier and reach the fetus.
The treatment is based on the drug's ability to inhibit the growth of abnormal blood vessels. Indeed, after the mother took the drug orally, the active ingredient passed through the placenta into the fetus's bloodstream, halting tumor growth and shrinking the mass that was compressing the trachea—a first globally for this type of tumor and using this method.
The birth of "Jesus" and the beginning of a new life
The medical efforts were successful with the birth of baby Issa on November 14th via cesarean section. Despite initial concerns, post-birth tests confirmed the effectiveness of the treatment he received as a fetus. Today, Issa is three months old, healthy, and in good spirits.
His mother, Vivian, 34, described her son's condition, saying, "Despite the remaining tumor, he eats and grows very normally." The child is currently under close and regular medical supervision in the hospital, and continues to receive treatment doses of sirolimus to ensure the tumor is completely controlled and gradually shrinks.
The importance of achievement and its future impact
This event holds significant medical importance that extends beyond the individual case; it demonstrates the possibility of treating fetal hemangiomas medically through maternal intervention, thus reducing the need for intrauterine surgical procedures that could endanger the lives of both mother and fetus. This French success offers a glimmer of hope to families facing similar diagnoses and establishes new treatment protocols in fetal medicine.
