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Are Intracardiac Echogenic Foci Markers of Congenital Heart Disease in the Fetus With Chromosomal Abnormalities?
Author(s) -
Wax Joseph R.,
Cartin Angelina,
Pinette Michael G.,
Blackstone Jacquelyn
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.7863/jum.2004.23.7.895
Subject(s) - medicine , intracardiac injection , fetus , echogenicity , heart disease , pathology , cardiology , ultrasonography , pregnancy , radiology , genetics , biology
Objective. To determine whether intracardiac echogenic foci (ICEF) are markers of congenital heart disease (CHD) in fetuses with chromosomal abnormalities. Methods. We identified all fetuses with chromosomal abnormalities undergoing targeted sonography at 17 weeks' to 21 weeks 6 days' gestation in a single perinatal center from January 1, 1994, to June 30, 2003. Offspring with and without CHD were compared for the presence or absence of ICEF. Results. Two (8%) of 25 fetuses with ICEF had CHD versus 38 (33.3%) of 114 fetuses without ICEF ( P = .006). Similarly, 1 (5.5%) of 18 fetuses with trisomy 21 and ICEF had CHD compared with 16 (37.2%) of 43 fetuses with trisomy 21 without ICEF ( P = .009). Conclusions. Intracardiac echogenic foci in fetuses with chromosomal abnormalities, including those with trisomy 21, are not useful markers for CHD.