title: Utility of ductus venosus blood flow in the study of cardiac function in fetuses with intracardiac echogenic focus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate fetal ductus venosus (DV) wave velocities, DV velocity ratios, and DV diastolic time intervals to derive additional information on fetal cardiac function in the presence of an intracardiac echogenic focus (IEF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy fetuses at 19-28 weeks of gestation with an IEF and 63 control fetuses were screened using two-dimensional and power Doppler echocardiography. DV wave velocities, DV velocity ratios, and diastolic time intervals were measured. The aortic peak velocity, pulmonary artery peak velocity, left ventricular shortening fraction, and right ventricular shortening fraction, atrioventricular early-diastolic filling velocity (E), atrial contraction velocity (A), and E/A ratio were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study and control groups were similar in terms of maternal age, body mass index, and gestational age in weeks at the time of examination (p > 0.05). Significant between-group differences were found in DV v-descent (p = 0.03) and a-wave velocities (p = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the presence of an IEF in the fetal heart does not influence conventional measurements (DV velocity ratios and DV diastolic time intervals), it is associated with changes in DV v-descent and a-wave velocities. These changes may be indirectly related to reduced end-systolic relaxation and augmented atrial contraction in the fetal heart. We therefore suggest examination of DV flow velocities in fetuses with IEF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatology, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Muhittin Eftal
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Avcı
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Izmir Dr. Behcet Uz Children's Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yılmaz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yozgat
authors.affiliation: Ümraniye Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Şanlıkan
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatology, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gökhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yıldırım
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatology, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: İbrahim
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Izmir Dr. Behcet Uz Children's Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Utku
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Karaarslan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*
keywords: ductus venosus wave velocities; fetal echocardiography; intracardiac echogenic focus