Question:medium

What is the most common cardiac defect caused due to lithium?

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This drug is classically linked to Ebstein's anomaly in the fetus.
Updated On: Jul 8, 2026
  • Ebstein's anomaly
  • HOCM
  • Aortic aneurysm
  • Eisenmenger syndrome
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

This question asks which heart defect is most linked with lithium use in early pregnancy.

  1. Ebstein's anomaly: The tricuspid valve sits lower than normal, pulling part of the right ventricle into the right atrium's job. This is the defect classically tied to first trimester lithium exposure, even though later research shows the actual risk is smaller than once believed.
  2. HOCM: A thickened heart muscle disorder that mostly runs in families through gene changes, not connected to lithium.
  3. Aortic aneurysm: Usually tied to connective tissue weakness, such as in Marfan syndrome, not a lithium effect.
  4. Eisenmenger syndrome: Develops over years from an untreated shunt reversing direction, not something a drug causes directly in the fetus.

Among the choices, only Ebstein's anomaly is the recognized drug specific cardiac defect for lithium.

Let's summarize:

  • Lithium in the first trimester is classically tied to Ebstein's anomaly.
  • The other three options come from unrelated causes such as genetics or shunt physiology.

The correct answer is Ebstein's anomaly.

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