title: [Screening performance of first trimester nuchal translucency, ductus venosus blood flow and tricuspid regurgitation for cardiac defects].
abstract: The present article summarises current knowledge on the risk of fetal cardiac malformations in fetuses with increased nuchal translucency (NT), abnormal ductus venosus blood flow pattern and tricuspid regurgitation. The risk of congenital heart disease (CHD) increases with increasing NT. However, nuchal translucency screening is only modestly efficient in the detection of congenital heart disease in low-risk pregnancies. If the nuchal translucency is normal, abnormal ductus venosus blood flow and tricuspid regurgitation show low sensitivities as single screening parameters. The combination of all 3 markers might increase the detection rates. Fetal echocardiography at 20 weeks of gestation is recommended in foetuses with an NT ≥95th percentile, as the incidence of CHD increases 2.5-fold. When the NT measurement is ≥99th percentile, the risk of CHD increases 10-fold. In this high-risk group and in fetuses with tricuspid regurgitation and/or an abnormal DV flow pattern along with an increased NT, first or early second trimester echocardiography performed by experts is warranted. The early examination of the fetal heart should be completed by a detailed echocardiogram at around 20 weeks of gestation.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Geburtshilfe und Pränatale Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Bonn. annegret.geipel@ukb.uni-bonn.de
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geipel
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gembruch
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000379:methods*; D048208:Nuchal Translucency Measurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D015995:Prevalence; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012307:Risk Factors; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000151:congenital* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014680:Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology*