Congenital heart diseases detected by fetal echocardiography and the prevalence: A single center experience

Abstract

Aim: Fetal echocardiography is an effective screening tool for the detection of cardiac anomalies. The aim of this study is to evaluate risk groups of pregnant women, to determine congenital heart diseases in each group and to find the prevalence of cardiac anomalies in our region. Materials and Methods: All pregnant women referred for fetal echocardiography from January 2023 and September 2024 were included in the study. Results: A total of 387 pregnant women underwent fetal echocardiography of which 136 were low risk group and 251 were high risk group. The mean ages of patients were 27.43±1.37 and 28.54±5.45 years, respectively. Maternal diabetes (13.17%), dysrhythmia (5.42%) and history of previous child or fetus with extracardiac anomaly (8.53%) were the most common reasons for referral in the high-risk group. While ventricular septal defect was the most detected congenital heart disease in low risk group; hypoplastic left heart syndrome (1.20%) and pulmonary atresia/hypoplasia (1.20%) were the most detected cardiac anomalies in high risk group. The prevalence of congenital heart diseases in our series was found to be 2.94% and 6.37% in the low-risk and high-risk pregnancies respectively while the overall prevalence was 5.16%. Conclusion: Fetal echocardiography is a very useful technique when performed by experienced individuals with sufficient time. Dedicated cardiac screening should be part of the routine anomaly scan. Also, detailed fetal echocardiography should be performed in all pregnant women who were in low or high risk groups.

Keywords

• Congenital heart diseases
• fetal echocardiography
• referral risk group
• prevalence.

Fetal ekokardiyografi ile tespit edilen doğumsal kalp hastalıkları ve prevelansı: Tek merkez deneyimi

Abstract

Amaç: Fetal ekokardiyografi, kardiyak anomalilerin tespiti için etkili bir tarama aracıdır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, gebe kadınların risk gruplarını değerlendirmek, her gruptaki konjenital kalp hastalıklarını belirlemek ve bölgemizde kardiyak anomalilerin prevalansını bulmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Ocak 2023 ve Eylül 2024 tarihleri arasında fetal ekokardiyografi için sevk edilen tüm gebe kadınlar çalışmaya dahil edildi. Bulgular: Toplam 387 gebe kadına fetal ekokardiyografi uygulandı, bunlardan 136'sı düşük risk grubunda ve 251'i yüksek risk grubundaydı. Hastaların ortalama yaşları sırasıyla 27,43±1,37 ve 28,54±5,45 yıldı. Maternal diyabet (%13,17), disritmi (%5,42) ve ekstrakardiyak anomalisi olan önceki çocuk veya fetüs öyküsü (%8,53) yüksek risk grubunda en sık sevk nedenleriydi. Ventriküler septal defekt düşük risk grubunda en sık tespit edilen doğumsal kalp hastalığı iken; hipoplastik sol kalp sendromu (%1,20) ve pulmoner atrezi/hipoplazi (%1,20) yüksek risk grubunda en sık tespit edilen kardiyak anomalilerdi. Serimizde doğumsal kalp hastalıklarının prevalansı düşük riskli ve yüksek riskli gebeliklerde sırasıyla %2,94 ve %6,37 olarak bulunurken, genel prevalans %5,16 idi. Sonuç: Fetal ekokardiyografi, yeterli zamana sahip deneyimli kişiler tarafından yapıldığında çok yararlı bir tekniktir. Özel kardiyak tarama rutin anomali taramasının bir parçası olmalıdır. Ayrıca, düşük veya yüksek risk grubunda olan tüm gebe kadınlara ayrıntılı fetal ekokardiyografi yapılmalıdır.

Keywords

• Doğumsal kalp hastalıkları
• fetal ekokardiyografi
• sevk risk grubu
• prevelans.

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