title: Prenatal evaluation of congenital heart disease in high-risk pregnancies.
abstract: The authors report their experience of echocardiography performed on a group of 736 pregnancies with specific risk-factors for congenital heart disease (CHD). The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of specific risk-factors (established through the genetic counselling) in detecting fetal cardiac anomalies and diagnostic accuracy of extended fetal echocardiographic examination in high-risk pregnancies. Twenty-seven heart defects were observed (3.6%), of these 24 were detected at ultrasound. Specificity and sensitivity were 99% and 90% respectively. These results suggest the importance of an early detection of pregnancies at increased risk for CHD and confirm the good diagnostic accuracy of a multiple cardiac examination.
authors.affiliation: II Clinic Obstetric and Gynecology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giancotti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Torcia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giampà
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Santo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal