Although vein of Galen aneurysm is a rare pathology, it is the most common form of symptomatic cerebrovascular malformation in neonates and infants. Advanced high flow intracerebral shunt may cause high-flow congestive heart failure depending on an increase in the volume accompanied by different levels of pulmonary hypertension. Unfortunately, the prognosis is poor particularly in newborns with heart failure findings. Surgery and arterial embolization are only partially successful in controlling flow through Galenic fistulas. However, in parallel to the improvements in endovascular embolization techniques and the innovations in the newborn intensive care practices, major developments in controlling congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension have been achieved. In this article, we report a newborn case who presented with severe high-flow congestive heart failure and was diagnosed with the vein of Galen malformation. The case was found worth presenting to remind clinicians the vein of Galen malformation in the differential diagnosis of severe congestive heart failure and persistent, treatment refractory pulmonary hypertension at systemic/suprasystemic level during neonatal period. It is also of utmost importance to emphasize the role of embolization into abnormal feeding arteries as an alternative treatment of choice.

Keywords : Congestive heart failure; newborn; vein of Galen aneurysm