title: Left atrial isomerism associated with asplenia: prenatal echocardiographic detection of complex congenital cardiac malformations.
abstract: Complex congenital heart disease with suspected isomerism of the atria was diagnosed in two fetuses of 20 and 29 weeks' gestation using two-dimensional and M-mode scanning techniques. The first pregnancy was terminated at 21 weeks' gestation and stillbirth occurred at 31 weeks' gestation in the second pregnancy. At postmortem examination, a thoracoabdominal discordancy was found; the spleen was absent and the arrangement of the abdominal vessels was as anticipated for asplenia, but the thoracic situs revealed a bilateral right-sided arrangement with left isomerism of the atria. The heart, otherwise, showed complex abnormalities as anticipated for asplenia.
mesh_terms: D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple; D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D013154:Spleen / Q000002:abnormalities*