title: Intracardiac echogenic focus: no apparent association with structural cardiac abnormality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to evaluate whether intracardiac echogenic foci (ICEFs) may be associated with increased risk for structural cardiac anomalies in the low-risk population.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a 24-month period, 3,744 low-risk patients were prospectively screened for ICEFs by prenatal sonography. The study group was composed of 138 fetuses (3.7%) with ICEF. The control group was composed of 167 fetuses without ICEF. In all fetuses a complete echocardiographic evaluation was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 138 fetuses in the study group, 108 (78%) ICEFs were found in the left ventricle, 25 (18%) were found in the right ventricle, and 5 (4%) were found to be bilateral. No statistically significant difference was found between the study and the control group regarding the presence of cardiac anomalies. Only 1 case (0.7%) of pulmonic stenosis was found in the study group, compared to 1 case (0.6%) of bicuspid aortic valve in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that ICEFs found in low-risk patients are not associated with a significant increase in the risk of cardiac anomalies.
authors.affiliation: Ultrasonography Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wolman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jaffa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Geva
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diamant
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Lessing
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yaron
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004200:Diseases in Twins; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011666:Pulmonary Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal