UNASSIGNED: This study aimed to improve the accuracy of prenatal diagnosis by analyzing fetal echocardiographic features of criss-cross heart (CCH), to provide an effective basis for the development of management strategies and improve the prognosis of patients.
UNASSIGNED: A retrospective analysis was performed on CCH cases diagnosed prenatally at our center between July 2016 and June 2022. Clinical data and prenatal fetal echocardiographic images were reviewed. Literature on prenatal diagnosis of CCH was searched from January 2000 to December 2023 in the PubMed database.
UNASSIGNED: Fourteen (0.03%) CCH cases were diagnosed from a database of fetal echocardiograms of 41354 cases at our center. The prenatal genetic testing results were normal in 10 cases and 4 cases didn\'t check. All cases underwent termination of pregnancy. All cases showed crossed ventricular inflow tracts and combined with other cardiac structural abnormalities. A total of eight articles containing 25 cases were found in the literature review and all cases were associated with other cardiac structural abnormalities.
UNASSIGNED: Prenatal echocardiography is the primary tool for fetal diagnosis of CCH. Continuous scanning helps avoid missing data and misdiagnosis.

Introduction  Congenital malformations of the right atrium are rare heart defects with only a few cases described prenatally. Early diagnosis of these anomalies is becoming increasingly important for proper follow-up and due to the possibility of serious complications such as supraventricular arrhythmia, thromboembolic events, and sudden death. Objective  The atrial appendage aneurysm (AAA) is a dilatation of the atrial appendage. It is considered an extremely rare congenital anomaly. However, this condition is clinically significant because it leads to atrial arrhythmias, recurrent emboli, heart failure, and chest pain. In addition, it is possible to recognize AAA prenatally with fetal echocardiography, even if it rarely happens. However, few fetal AAA cases have been reported in the literature. Study Design  We report a case of a fetal AAA; diagnosed prenatally and with postnatal confirmation. We undertook a systematic review of studies on fetal AAA to synthesize available knowledge on diagnosing and managing this rare condition. Results  A total of eight studies describing 24 patients were identified and analyzed. Conclusion  Despite their rarity, fetal atrial appendage aneurysms necessitate early detect on due to associated severe complications. Our findings emphasize the importance of prenatal diagnosis through fetal echocardiography and highlight the need for further research to optimize management strategies and improve outcomes for affected individuals.

Collaborative multicenter research has significantly increased our understanding of fetal Ebstein anomaly, delineating risk factors for adverse outcomes as well as predictors of postnatal management. These data are incorporated into prenatal care and therapeutic strategies and inform family counseling and delivery planning to optimize care. This report details the translation of findings from multicenter studies into multidisciplinary prenatal care for a fetus with Ebstein anomaly, supraventricular tachycardia, and a circular shunt, including transplacental therapy to control arrhythmias and achieve ductal constriction, informed and coordinated delivery room management, and planned univentricular surgical palliation.

Published data estimate the prevalence of the vascular ring at approximately 7 per 10,000 live births. The association of a double aortic arch with a D-transposition of the great arteries has been rarely described in the literature. In this study, we report the prenatal diagnosis of a 28-year-old woman. A fetal echocardiography at a gestational age of 24 weeks + 6 days showed a D-transposition of the great arteries and a double aortic arch with a ventricular septal defect and pulmonary stenosis. On the first night after birth, the baby experienced an increase in lactate levels, with the rate of oxygen saturation consistently below 80%. A few hours after birth, the patient underwent a Rashkind procedure. An echocardiography, CT chest x-ray, and CT angiogram confirmed a diagnosis with a severe reduction of the tracheal lumen (>85%) and bronchomalacia. Then, the patient underwent posterior tracheopexy and aortopexy and later an arterial switch operation, ventricular septal defect closure, and resection of a part of the infundibular septum, accepting the risk of potential neoaortic obstruction. The literature has reported only two cases of patients with a fetal echocardiogram diagnosis. Therefore, our patient is only the third one with a fetal diagnosis and the second one with a complex intracardiac anatomy, characterized not only by a ventricular septal defect but also by two separate components of the obstruction (a bicuspid valve and a dysplastic valve with a posterior deviation of the infundibular septum). In conclusion, a D-transposition of the great arteries with a double aortic arch remains an extremely unusual association. The clinical outcome of these patients presents a high degree of variability and is entirely unpredictable in prenatal life. Our greatest aim as fetal and perinatal cardiologists is to improve the management and outcome of these patients through a fetal diagnosis, recognizing types of congenital heart disease in newborns who require early neonatal invasive procedures.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the fetal cardiac functions between pregnant women with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and healthy controls.
METHODS: This single-center, prospective, case-control study was conducted at a tertiary hospital. A total of 150 patients, including 50 patients with IDA and 100 healthy pregnant women at 30-34 weeks of gestation, were included in the study. Of the patients with anemia, 20 had mild anemia, 18 had moderate anemia, and 12 had severe anemia. Pulsed-wave Doppler, M-mode, and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) were performed to evaluate fetal cardiac functions. The fetal cardiac score was calculated using the systolic, diastolic, and global hemodynamic function parameters.
RESULTS: The myocardial performance index and isovolumetric relaxation time were significantly higher in the IDA group than the control group, while isovolumetric contraction time was similar. Among the tricuspid and mitral valve diastolic parameters, the E, A, and E/A values were significantly lower in the IDA group (p<0.001). Mitral and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursions (MAPSE and TAPSE, respectively) were significantly lower in the IDA group (p<0.001). The IDA group also had significantly lower values for the TDI parameters, mitral and tricuspid E\', A\', S\', E\'/A\' and a significantly higher E/E\' ratio (p<0.001). Upon examination of anemia subgroups, a significant decrease was observed in the tricuspid and mitral A, E, and E/A in those with severe anemia (p<0.001). M-mode Doppler analysis revealed significantly lower TAPSE and MAPSE in the patient group with severe anemia. According to the subgroup comparison of TDI findings, the patients with severe anemia had significantly lower tricuspid and mitral E\', A\', S\' and E\'/A\' (p<0.001) values and a significantly higher E/E\' ratio (p<0.001). The fetal cardiac score was significantly higher in the maternal IDA group compared to the control group. A significant negative correlation was found between maternal hemoglobin level and fetal cardiac score (p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: There may be changes in the systolic and diastolic cardiac functions of the fetuses of pregnant women with IDA. This study showed an increased E/E\' ratio in the fetuses of pregnant women with IDA, suggesting a decrease in fetal heart maturation. Within the IDA group, fetal cardiac functions were more affected in those with severe anemia. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

We describe a case of a voluminous rhabdomyoma (R) detected by fetal echocardiography at 32 weeks\' gestation (w.g.) obstructing the left ventricular inflow and aortic outflow tract, with a moderate aortic gradient at birth, not needing immediate surgery. At follow-up, the mass progressively regressed, leaving the aortic valve partly damaged, with a gradient that increased to a maximum of 100 mmHg at 9 years. The girl was then operated on successfully by a plasty of the aortic valve. The literature regarding R is discussed.

BACKGROUND: The prenatal detection rate of a right aortic arch (RAA) has increased with the implementation of the three-vessel view (3VV) to the second-trimester anomaly scan formed by the pulmonary artery (PA), aorta (Ao), and superior vena cava (SVC). We examined the value of measuring the distance between PA and Ao in the 3VV in cases with an RAA.
METHODS: We conducted a case-control study in which fetuses with an isolated RAA were matched to 3 healthy controls. Using 3VV images, the distances between PA, Ao, and SVC were measured and the ratio between PA to Ao (PAAo) distance and Ao to SVC (AoSVC) distance was calculated.
RESULTS: Fifty-four RAA cases and 162 matched controls were included. The mean absolute distance PAAo was 3.1 mm in cases and 1.8 mm in controls (p < 0.001), and the mean PAAo/AoSVC ratio was 2.9 and 1.4, respectively (p < 0.001). The ROC curve of PAAo/AoSVC ratio showed a cut-off point of 1.9 with sensitivity and specificity over 87% for the diagnosis of RAA.
CONCLUSIONS: The pulmonary-aortic interspace and the PAAo/AoSVC ratio were significantly larger for RAA cases as compared to controls. If an increased pulmonary-aortic interspace is observed, a PAAo/AoSVC of ≥1.9 can be helpful in the diagnosis of an RAA.

暂无摘要。

Increased nuchal translucency (NT) leads to a higher risk of fetal structural abnormalities. The measurement between 11 and 14 weeks gestation is a reliable marker for associated chromosomal abnormalities. Here, we present the case of a 33-year-old female with isolated high NT in the range of 5.6 mm at 12 weeks of gestational age. She was evaluated for chromosomal and structural abnormality and followed up meticulously. None of the tests showed any chromosomal or obvious structural abnormality. Fetal echocardiography revealed no structural cardiac defect. The pregnancy was uneventful and she delivered a healthy baby at term through lower (uterine)-segment cesarean section. The baby girl is living in good health without any developmental abnormalities. Although there is a high risk of chromosomal/structural defects with increased NT, it is not mandatory to terminate the pregnancy without a thorough evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: The study aims to evaluate the genetic and clinical outcomes of fetal cardiac rhabdomyoma in our tertiary center.
METHODS: Data of cases with cardiac rhabdomyoma detected by fetal echocardiography during antenatal follow-up were analyzed retrospectively.
RESULTS: Nine cases were included in the study. The incidence of cardiac rhabdomyoma was 0.003%. The median fetal diagnosis time was 26th weeks, the most common location was the LV. There was no hemodynamic disorder requiring cardiovascular intervention in any of the cases. Of the eight genetically tested cases, four were tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) gene-negative, one hereditary TSC2, one de novo TSC1, and two de novo TSC2 gene mutants. Postnatal first-year survival rate of the cases was 88.8%.
CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac rhabdomyoma is a rare fetal and pediatric pathology that generally is a remarkable finding in the clinical process of TSC. Therefore, cases should be evaluated multisystemically and genetic counseling should be given to the family.