[Clinical significance of cardiac axis determination in prenatal echocardiographic diagnosis of fetal congenital heart disease].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical significance of cardiac axis determined by echocardiography in prenatal diagnosis of fetal congenital heart disease (CHD).


METHODS
518 high risk fetuses for CHD were and 90 normal fetuses were examined by echocardiography. Cardiac axis was measured on four-chamber view and fetal cardiac anatomical structure was examined in multiple views to determine CHD.


RESULTS
The 35 fetuses with CHD diagnosed by prenatal echocardiography. There is significant difference of caidiac axis between CHD group (58.1 +/- 15.7 degree) and normal group (44.8 +/- 10.3 degree, P < 0.01). Sensitivity of CHD diagnosis using four-chamber view alone is 68.5%, it will be elevated to 91.4% by combination of four-chamber view and cardiac axis determination (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Cardiac axis play an important role in fetal echocardiographic screening for CHD and it should be measured routinely as part of the four-chamber view of the fetal heart. The normal range of fetal cardiac axis is 20 to 75 degree. If it was more than 75 degree, the CHD should be suspected.
Zhou
Q
Q
Second Affiliated Hospital, Hunan Medical University, Changsha 410011.
Fan
P
P
Gao
M
M
D000328:Adult; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal