Maternal death associated with uterine arteriovenous malformation

Uterine arteriovenous malformation (UAMM) for some authors, considered an arteriovenous fistula, represents between 1% and 2% of genital and intraperitoneal hemorrhage as a result of spontaneous or provoked vascular rupture after a surgical intervention.

We present a case of maternal death that occurred during a walk on a slope, presenting metrorrhagia and fainting with a fatal outcome. The medico-legal autopsy showed a pregnancy uterus with myometrial hemorrhage and multiple blood clots, diagnosed pathologically as a uterine arteriovenous malformation.

Maternal death is a multifactorial public health problem in underdeveloped countries. Uterine arteriovenous malformation is a rare cause, however some authors consider it underdiagnosed; reported cases have increased in recent years and in developing countries it can be lethal.