[Feasibility of fetal echocardiography at 11-14 weeks scan].
OBJECTIVE
Sonographic diagnostics are increasingly brought forward into the first trimenon. Lately, more and more expert studies have been published on echocardiography in the context of the Nuchal Translucency (NT) screening (gestational age 11-14 weeks). The aim of this study has been to evaluate the feasibility of early echocardiography on the occasion of first trimenon screening in the context of routine operation.


METHODS
From February 2003 to March 2004, an echocardiography was prospectively sought in 130 assigned, unselected pregnant women during the first trimenon screening. Three doctors with different OGUM/DEGUM (Austrian and German societies for ultrasound in medicine) qualifications at our ward tried to represent the four-chamber view (4CV) and the outflow tracts (OFT), each via B-mode and color Doppler. The study conditions were "routine", in particular they were temporally limited. In case no sufficient visual representation was achievable with the transabdominal examination, transvaginal sonography was also used.


RESULTS
Via B-mode, 4CV was indicated as successful in 86/130, and OFTs in 37/130. Via color Doppler, on the other hand, it was possible to sufficiently represent 4CV in 75/130 and OFTs in 87/130.


CONCLUSIONS
In routine screening, early heart examination is a big challenge and in many cases even with good equipment no complete diagnostic echocardiography can be achieved. The utilisation of the color Doppler is helpful particularly for the representation of the outflow tracts.
Lederer
A
A
Pränatalmedizin, Universitätsklinik für Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde, Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität Salzburg, Austria.
Hasenöhrl
G
G
Gruber
R
R
Steiner
H
H
D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal