Fetal Cardiac Anomalies;A Fetal Echocardiographic Study

Abstract

Sewn years' experience of fetal echocardiography was reviewed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of fetal echocardiography, distribution of individual cardiac anomalies, and some practical problems of fetal echocardiography in Korea. A total of 737 fetuses IMlre examined and 45 confirmed and 20 unconfirmed cardiac structural anomalies IMlre identified. In general, fetal echocardiography was accurate in assessing fetal cardiac anomalies. However there were three false positive and four false negatiw diagnosis. In addition, diagnosis was changed slightly in 10 cases. Common errors occurred in the diagnosis of atrial isomerism, anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, complex atrioventricular junctional anomaly, wntricular septal defect, and coarctation of aorta. Some minor errors in diagnosis seemed unavoidable but this rarely had an important effect on prognosis. The common cardiac anomalies were ventrtcular septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, and hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Fetal echocardiography in Korea is at an early stage and does haw many problems. Some of the problems are 1) insufficient number of doctors capable of doing fetal echocardiography, 2) few cardiac pathologists. 3) people's attitude toward congenital anomalies, 4) high rate of termination of pregnacy when fetal anomaly is found, and 5) doctors' lack of interest in confirming anomalies in stilbom fetuses or terminated products of pregnancy. Continuing education to the society and medical personnel seems urgent to soloe some of these problems.