title: Fetal heart: a 4-chamber view is not enough.
abstract: The majority of children born with congenital heart disease have no identifiable risk factors and, therefore, prenatal diagnosis relies on routine ultrasonographic screening. First proposed in 1985, the 4-chamber view is a component of the basic fetal cardiac examination. However, many life-threatening conditions (eg, transposition of the great arteries) can present with a normal 4-chamber view and may only be detected by systematic evaluation of the outflow tracts. Although this is a technically challenging skill, its mastery is a worthwhile goal of ultrasonography training, as it likely to improve the lives of at least some of the children affected by the most severe forms of congenital heart disease.
authors.affiliation: Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Division of Fetal Imaging, Royal Oak, Michigan 48073, USA. luis.goncalves@beaumont.edu
authors.forename: Luís F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bronsteen
authors.forename: Wesley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*