The relationship between fetal cardiac echogenic foci detected in fetal echocardiography and congenital heart diseases: A cross-sectional study.

Authors : Hayrullah Alp, Gamze Savci, Fatmagül Şencan

Pages : 242-248

Doi:10.54005/geneltip.1591194

View : 27 | Download : 31

Publication Date : 2025-04-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Abstract Aim: The aim of our study is to determine the prevalence of intracardiac echogenic focus and to investigate the possible association of congenital heart diseases in risky pregnancies. Materials and Methods: A total of 380 pregnant women who were in the 17th to 36th week of gestation were included in our study. The patients were classified as low risk and high risk groups according to various referral reasons such as any drug usage, presence of chromosomal or fetal anomalies, number and characteristics of previous pregnancies, congenital or acquired heart diseases in the family and presence of family history. Results: Based on the selective criteria 134 (35.26%) pregnant women were classified as the low-risk group while 246 (64.74%) pregnant were classified as the high-risk group. Maternal diabetes (13.16%) was the most common reason for referral in the high-risk group. However, in the low-risk pregnancies, lack of good image of the fetal heart by ultrasonography was the major reason for referral (21.05%). Intracardiac echogenic foci were detected in total of 77 (20.26%) cases, which of 68 (50.75%) cases were in the low-risk group and 9 (3.66%) cases were in the high-risk group. Left ventricular echogenic foci were detected in 59 (44.03%) fetuses in low-risk pregnancies and 4 (1.63%) fetuses in high-risk pregnancies (p=0.001). Additionally, only one fetus in low-risk pregnancy and one fetus in high-risk pregnancy had echogenic foci in one of the ventricles with congenital heart diseases. Conclusion: In conclusion, we found the prevalence of intracardiac echogenic foci in low-risk pregnancies as 50.75% which was higher than in high-risk pregnancies. This can be attributed to ethnicity, tertiary hospital referrals, relatively low number of patients and other associated factors. Additionally, in our study, no correlation was found between congenital heart diseases and intracardiac echogenic foci in both low- and high-risk pregnancies.
Keywords : Riskli gebelikler, intrakardiyak ekojenik odak, konjenital kalp hastalığı