Accuracy of prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart defects.
OBJECTIVE
(1) To evaluate the detection and accuracy of fetal echocardiography for congenital heart defects (CHD). (2) To compare the detection and accuracy of a team of maternal fetal medicine specialists and radiologists (MFM/R) with those of perinatal cardiologists (PC).


METHODS
All fetal echocardiograms performed from 1/91 to 6/95 were reviewed retrospectively. CHD diagnoses made prenatally were compared with postnatally-confirmed diagnoses.


RESULTS
106 heat defects were correctly detected prenatally. There were 10 incorrect diagnoses, 6 false-negatives and 4 false-positives. Overall detection rate (sensitivity) was 95%, while overall accuracy was 87%. Detection rate for MFM/R and PC were 91 and 97%, respectively (p = 0.4). Accuracy was 74% for MFM/R and 92% for PC (p = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
CHD can be identified reliably by prenatal echocardiography. The involvement of a PC in the prenatal diagnosis of these defects may improve diagnostic accuracy.
Berghella
V
V
Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa, USA. vincenzo.berghella@mail.tju.edu
Pagotto
L
L
Kaufman
M
M
Huhta
J C
JC
Wapner
R J
RJ
D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal