Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T00:04:58.410Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The technique of fetal echocardiography, with its indications and results in a selected population

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 August 2008

Maria J. Maitre Azcárate*
Affiliation:
Servicio de Cardiologia Pediátrica, Hospital Ramón Y Cajal, Madrid
Manuel Quero Jiménez
Affiliation:
Servicio de Cardiologia Pediátrica, Hospital Ramón Y Cajal, Madrid
*
Dr. M. J. Maitre Azcárate, Servicio de Cardiologia Pediácrica, Hospital Ramón Y Cajal, Carretera de Colmenar Km 9.100, 28034 Madrid, Spain

Summary

One of the most important contributions of echocardiography to the diagnosis of congenital cardiac malformations is represented by its use in prenatal evaluation. In the present work we discuss the analysis of echocardiographic findings in a preliminary study of the hearts of fetuses in 273 pregnant women. The cases have been divided into three groups. The first group of 169 women was made up of those without a known factor conferring high risk on the pregnancy. The second group of 18 women was comprised of those of suspicions of either arrhythmias or congenitally malformed hearts. The final group of 86 women, consisted of those having had previous children with congenital heart disease. The incidence of pathology in those without risk was 0.5%. In those referred because of suspicion of disease, the incidence was 16.6%, while in those with previous history of children with heart disease, the incidence was 5.8%. Our findings proved the utility of the echocardiogram for the diagnosis of heart malformations prior to birth and confirmed the increased incidence of malformations in fetuses in mothers who had previously produced children with congenital heart disease. The high incidence of cardiac abnormalities in the group referred on the basis of an earlier scan is due to the filter represented by routine echocardiography performed by the obstetricians.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Allan, LD, Tynan, M, Campbell, S, Wilkinson, JL, Anderson, RH. Echocardiographic and anatomical correlates in the fetus. Br Heart J 1980; 44: 444451.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Allan, LD, Tynan, M, Campbell, S, Anderson, RH. Identification of congenital cardiac malformations by echocardiography in midtrimester fetus. Br Heart J 1981; 46: 358362.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Allan, LD, Tynan, M, Campbell, S, Anderson, RH. Normal fetal cardiac anatomic basis for the echocardiographic detection of abnormalities. Prenatal Diag 1981; 1: 131139.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Allan, LD, Joseph, MC, Boyd, GCAE, Campbell, S, Tynan, M. M-mode echocardiography in the developing human fetus. Br Heart J 1982; 47: 573583.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Allan, LD, Grawford, DC, Anderson, RH, Tynan, M. Echocar diographic and anatomical correlations in fetal congenital heart disease. Br Heart J 1984; 52: 542548.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Allan, LD, Grawford, DC, Tynan, M. Evolution of coarctation of the aorta in intrauterine life. Br Heart J 1984; 52: 471473.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Allan, LD, Crawford, DC, Anderson, RH, Tynan, M. Spectrum of congenital heart disease detected echocardiographically in prenatal life. Br Heart J 1985; 54: 523532.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Blanddn Calderdn, R, Leandro, M. Echocardiografia fetal. In: Sánchez, PA (ed). Cardiologia Pediátrica. Clinica y Cirugia, Editorial Salvat, Barcelona, 1986, pp 10571066.Google Scholar
9.Callen, PW. Clinical parameters in estimation of gestational age. In: Callen, PW (ed). Ultrasonography in Obstetrics Gy necology. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, 1983, pp 325340.Google Scholar
10.DeVore, GR, Donnerstein, RL, Kleinman, CS, Platt, LD, Hobbins, JC. Fetal echocardiography: Normal anatomy using real time directed M-mode ultrasound. Am J Obst Gynecol 1982; 144: 249260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Lange, LW, Sahn, DJ, Allen, HD, Goldberg, SJ, Anderson, C, Giles, H. Quantitative real-time cross-sectional echocardio graphic imaging of the human fetus during the second half of pregnancy. Circulation 1980; 62: 799806.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Nesser, HJ, Redel, DA, Salzer, RH. Echocardiography in utero of tricuspid atresia. In: Dellenbach, P (ed). l Symposium International d'Echocardiographie Foetale. Strasbourg Milupa Dietetique, 1982, pp 248249.Google Scholar
13.Redel, DA, Hansmann, H. Prenatal diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. In: Dellenbach, P (ed). I Symposium Interna tional d'Echocardiographie Foetale. Strasbourg Milupa Dietetique, 1982, pp 127128.Google Scholar
14.Sahn, DJ, Lang, L, Allen, HD. Quantitative real time cross-sectional echocardiography in the developing normal human fetus and newborn. Circulation 1980; 62: 588597.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Silverman, NH. Fetal echocardiography a technique and its applications. In: Friedman, WF, Higgins, C (eds). Pediatric Cardiac Imaging. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, 1984.Google Scholar
16.Silverman, NH, Enderbein, MA, Golbus, MS. Ultrasonic rec ognition of sortie valve atresia in utero. Am J Cardiol 1984; 53: 391392.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Silverman, NH, Golbus, MS. Echocardiographic techniques of assessing normal and abnormal fetal cardiac anatomy. J Am Coil Cardiol 1985; 5: 20S29S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Stewart, PA, Wladimirof, JW, Becker, AE. Early prenatal detec tion of double outlet right ventricle by echocardiography. Br HeartJ 1985; 54: 340342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.De Muylder, X, Fouron, JC, Bard, H, Urfer, FM. Changes in the systolic time intervals of the fetal heart after surgical manipu lation of the fetus. Am J Obstr Gynecol 1983; 147: 285288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Maitre Azcárate, MJ. Fetal echocardiography technique, indi cations and results in a selective population. In: Fetal Cardiology: A new perspective in pediatrics.19e Congres International de Pediatric.Paris, 1989.Google Scholar
21.Quero, Jiménez M, Maitre, Azcárate MJ. Diagnostico prenatal de las cardiopatias congéniras. In: Delgado Rubio, A (ed). Avances en Pediatria. “II Congreso Mundial Vasco”, Idepsa, Madrid, 1985, pp 134144.Google Scholar
22.Eik-Nes, SH, Brubak, AO, Ulstein, MA. Measurement of human fetal blood flow. Br Med J. 1980; 280: 283287.Google Scholar
23.Fitzgerald, DE, Drumm, JR. Noninvasive measurement off etal circulation using ultrasound: a new method. Br Med J 1977; 2: 14501451.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24.Maulik, D, Nanda, MC, Saini, VD. Fetal Doppler echocardiography: Methods and characterization of normal and abnormal hemodynamics. Am J Cardiol 1984; 53: 572– 578.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25.McCallam, WK, Olson, RF, Daigle, RE, Baker, DW. Real time analysis of Doppler signals obtained from the fetoplacental circulation. In: White, D, Brown, RE (eds). Ultrasound in Medicine. 1977; 3B: 13611672.Google Scholar
26.Rudolph, AM. Fetal cardiovascular physiology – Potential for echocardiography. In: 1 Symposium International d'Echocardiologie foetale. Strasbourg (Avril), 1982.Google Scholar
27.DeGeeter, B, Nisand, I, Kohler, A, Durand, JL, Dellenbach, P, Kieny, R. Etude du coeur foetale en routine. In: Dellenbach, P (ed). I Symposium International D'Echocardiographie Foetale. Milupa Dietetique, Strasbourg, 1982, pp 87.Google Scholar
28.Silverman, NH, Snider, AR, Golbus, MS, Stanger, P. Perspective in fetal echocardiography. In: Dellenbach, P (ed). 1 Symposium International d'Echocardiologie Foetale. Milupa Dietetique, Strasbourg, 1982, pp 9599.Google Scholar
29.Redel, DA, Hansman, H. Fetal obstruction of the foramen ovale detected by two–dimensional Doppler echocardiography. In: Rijsterborgh, H. (ed). Echocardiography Proceedings of the 4th Symposium on Echocardiology. Martinus Nijhoof, The Hague, 1981, pp 425426.Google Scholar
30.Huhta, JC, Cohen, AW, Wood, DC. Premature constriction of the ductus arteriosus. J Am Soc Echocardiography 1990; 3: 3032.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed