A Review of Findings in Fetal Cardiac Section Drawings

Abstract

Objective. The goal of this presentation is to review some of the common and rare fetal heart abnormalities and to provide an easy approach to these findings with the schematic drawings. Methods. Over the past 10 years, we collected cases in which the common views of the heart were abnormal and the differential diagnoses that existed for each. This presentation shows the normal sonographic sections and then variations of these sections and the associated anomalies. We used illustrative drawings to present these findings, enabling us to point out the main sonographic features of abnormalities of the heart. Results. This work reviews 21 fetal heart abnormalities in schematic drawings. Conclusions. This short review highlights several of the anomalies that can be recognized on the common sonographic views. The drawings tend to simplify the findings but should serve as a basis for those doing fetal echocardiography when they encounter an unusual finding. Key words: drawings; fetal echocardiography; prenatal sonography. n this third part of our 3-part series, we review the prenatal sonographic findings of some cardiac anomalies at the level of the 3-vessel-trachea view. Many of the cardiac anomalies result in modifications of the anatomy, position, or direction of flow at the level of the structures in the upper thoracic region. The purpose of this presentation is to provide schematic drawings of these findings to serve as an easy reference for those anomalies. Materials and MethodsWe have summarized the typical findings of some cardiac anomalies collected over the past 10 years.The colors used in the drawings are conventional medical artist colors, with arteries in red and veins in purple or blue. The colors do not represent flow directions, as in color Doppler sonography, for instance, and they do not correlate with fetal blood oxygenation. A few drawings (cases 10-17) use colors that represent color Doppler images, and those drawings are clearly identified. The drawings are presented with the fetus presenting in the cephalic dorsal position (Figure 1). Although this does not represent the conventional position used in computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, it will be more familiar to those who do prenatal sonographic examinations.

Two‐ and four‐dimensional echocardiography with high‐definition flow imaging and spatiotemporal image correlation in the diagnosis of fetal isolated partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection

“…Instead, some abnormal signs presenting at the standard cardiac views may provide some useful information, which may help the diagnosis of fetal PAPVC. Jeanty et al indicated the possibility of a LSVC or a VV for an additional vessel presenting on the left of the pulmonary artery at the 3VT view. We think it is useful for screening sonographers or echocardiographers to bear in mind such signs in standard cardiac views together with possible malformations.…”

The Fetal 3‐Vessel Views: An Illustrative Case‐Based Tutorial

“…The 3‐vessel view (3VV) and 3‐vessel and trachea view (3VT), lying in the same transverse plane orientation as the 4CV, have long been recognized as potentially important additions to the fetal cardiac screening evaluation . Importantly, the 3VV and 3VT have been found to improve detection of outflow tract abnormalities, abnormalities of the aortic arch, abnormalities of systemic veins, and even thymic abnormalities .…”

“…7 The 3-vessel view (3VV) and 3-vessel and trachea view (3VT), lying in the same transverse plane orientation as the 4CV, have long been recognized as potentially important additions to the fetal cardiac screening evaluation. [8][9][10] Importantly, the 3VV and 3VT have been found to improve detection of outflow tract abnormalities, 8,[11][12][13] abnormalities of the aortic arch, [12][13][14][15] abnormalities of systemic veins, 16 and even thymic abnormalities. 17,18 The 3VV and 3VT should be considered complementary to the 4CV and left and right ventricular outflow tract views; a subtle abnormality in one view may be more apparent in another view.…”