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In utero ultrasound diagnosis of congenital heart disease
Author(s) -
Marasini Maurizio,
Cordone Massimo,
Pongiglione Giacomo,
Lituania Mario,
Bertolini Alberto,
Ribaldone Dionigi
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of clinical ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.272
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1097-0096
pISSN - 0091-2751
DOI - 10.1002/jcu.1870160207
Subject(s) - medicine , in utero , heart disease , ultrasound , cardiology , fetal echocardiography , radiology , fetus , prenatal diagnosis , medical diagnosis , pregnancy , genetics , biology
Two hundred and one pregnancies considered at high risk for congenital heart disease (CHD) underwent fetal cross‐sectional echocardiographic (CSE) examination. In 190 cases a structurally normal heart was correctly predicted; seven cases of CHD were identified, but in two of them the specific diagnosis was inaccurate. One false positive diagnosis of a small ventricular septal defect was made. There were three false negative diagnoses: two of ventricular septal defects and one of aortic coarctation. We conclude that severe heart malformations can be reliably identified or excluded by CSE in utero, but important anatomical details may be missed. Therefore, prognosis should be based only on the structures identified to multiple‐scan planes.