Fetal cardiac tumors: clinical features, management and prognosis.
Fetal cardiac tumors are rare and usually benign. While echocardiography is a reliable technique for diagnosing fetal cardiac tumors, their definitive diagnosis relies on pathological examination. The strategies used to manage fetal cardiac tumors are challenging. A good clinical result is their complete regression during pregnancy or shortly after birth, as often occurs with cardiac rhabdomyomas. Moreover, the fetal prognosis depends on the nature of the tumors, namely, their location, size, number and associated complications. The active treatment options for symptomatic fetuses depend on the fetal status and may include fetal open surgery, postnatal tumor resection with or without the bridge of intrauterine pericardiocentesis, and thoracoamniotic shunting. The ex utero intrapartum treatment procedure provides an alternative technique for performing fetal open surgery and has shown promising preliminary results in selected cases, but is invasive for both the mother and fetus.
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The First Hospital of Putian, Teaching Hospital, Fujian Medical University, 389 Longdejing Street, Chengxiang District, Putian 351100, Fujian Province, P.R. China, Tel.: 86 594 6923117.
Shi-Min
SM
Yuan
D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods
Heart neoplasms; hydrops fetalis; prenatal diagnosis