Abstract:
AIMS & OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:
To describe the echocardiographic features of congenital cardiac anomalies in
a fetus.
SOURCE OF DATA:
All pregnant women (between 16 weeks to 28 weeks of gestation) who came
for antenatal scans to our department of radio-diagnosis, B.L.D.E.U’s Shri B.M. Patil
Medical College Hospital and Research Centre were screened for congenital cardiac
anomalies.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
4693 fetuses between 16-28 weeks of gestational age were assessed for
anomalies between August 1, 2013 to July 31, 2015. 33 fetuses found to have cardiac
anomalies on routine obstetric scans and were subjected to detailed fetal
echocardiographic scans at department of Radio-diagnosis BLDEA’s Shri B.M Patil
Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Bijapur. Consent was taken for
each case.
RESULTS:
Out of 4693 subjects studied, 33 (0.7%) had congenital cardiac defects
that were randomly selected for screening, along with some of the high-risk
cases. The maternal age range was from 16-36 years and the period of gestation
ranging from 16 to 28 weeks.
XI
Ventricular septal defect was the most common defect (18.2%) found in
our study followed by atrioventricular septal defect and other anomalies. In
fetal echocardiography, using four chamber view, outflow tract views, three
vessel view, short axis view of ventricles and aortic arch view we have
described and identified the congenital cardiac anomalies.
There were extracardiac associations noted with some of the cardiac
anomalies.
CONCLUSION:
Fetal echocardiography is an important diagnostic tool in fetuses at risk of
heart diseases, which in the hands of trained professional / fetal echocardiologist has
high accuracy. Moreover, the imaging modality (ultrasound) is readily available. An
early diagnosis provides professionals as well as families precious time to prepare for
aneuploidy assessment and also prenatal & postnatal management.
The following review will assert the value of fetal echocardiography, not only
as a diagnostic tool but most importantly as a means to improve the outcomes of
fetuses affected by cardiac diseases, by serial prognostication and in monitoring fetal
therapy in certain cases and ruling out associated multisystem anomalies and
aneuploidies.
