Evaluation of the fetal heart at 14 to 18 weeks' gestation in fetuses with a screening nuchal translucency greater than or equal to the 95th percentile.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine whether normal fetal cardiac anatomy could be successfully demonstrated and congenital heart disease detected transabdominally at 14 to 18 weeks' gestation in fetuses with a nuchal translucency greater than or equal to the 95th percentile.


METHODS
In this retrospective chart review, grayscale images, Z scores, and Doppler evaluations, including pulsed, color, and spectral Doppler imaging, were reviewed to determine whether fetal heart evaluation findings at 14 to 18 weeks' gestation were normal or abnormal.


RESULTS
Normal cardiac anatomy was successfully evaluated in 32 of 33 normal cases; only an aortic arch and a ductal arch were not successfully visualized in 1 case. Major congenital heart disease was detected prenatally in 4 abnormal cases.


CONCLUSIONS
The fetal heart can be successfully evaluated at an earlier gestational age but may be dependent on the skill of the sonographer and reading physician. Maternal decisions can be made earlier in gestation, before the pregnancy is obvious, and can allow planning for a pregnancy that will need to be delivered at a medical center that has a level 3 nursery.
MS, Department of Obstetric Ultrasound, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 2050 Kenny Rd, Sixth Floor Tower, Columbus, OH 43221 USA. pamela.foy@osumc.edu.
Pamela M
PM
Foy
John J
JJ
Wheller
Philip
P
Samuels
Kevin D
KD
Evans
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart; D005865:Gestational Age; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D048208:Nuchal Translucency Measurement / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D015588:Observer Variation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States
early second trimester; fetal echocardiography; nuchal translucency