title: Approach an appropriate decision on fetus with endocardial fibroelastosis in collaboration with cardiovascular profile score: A case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fetal endocardial fibroelastosis (EFE) is a kind of rare fetal cardiac malformation characterized by the diffuse thickening of the ventricular endocardium. The diagnosis of fetal EFE depends on the echocardiographic features which are still confused that how to make an appropriate pregnant decision due to the conflict between high prenatal mortality and acceptable prognosis once after birth. Here, we seriously built a 4-gradation recommendation system based on cardiovascular profile score (CVPS) to supply a prediction of clarified pregnant outcomes with EFE and provide a practical way to offer optimal medical consultation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A suspected case of fetal EFE has been aware at 24th gestational week by fetal echocardiography. The CVPS of this affected fetus dropped to 6 out of 10 points, which indicated a severe heart condition along with the fetus and predicted an adverse fetal prognosis according to our recommendation system. After fully informed consent, the prospective parents determined to terminate pregnancy. Following the induced abortion, postmortem pathological findings confirmed the echocardiographic suspicion of EFE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our experience and previous researches, we could reach a relative clear prediction of the outcomes of the EFE fetuses based on the CVPS of such suspected fetuses, which should lead to approach an appropriate pregnant decision for such fetuses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University West China Medical School, Sichuan University Key Laboratory of Women and Children's Diseases and Birth Defects, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University Department of Ultrasound, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Hualin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Kaiyu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yifei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yimin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hua
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000328:Adult; D000066491:Clinical Decision-Making; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D004695:Endocardial Fibroelastosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal