Evaluation of different ultrasonic modalities for prenatal screening congenital heart diseases

Objective To evaluate the value of four chamber view, outflow tract view and color Doppler echocardiosonography for detecting the fetal congenital heart defects among high-risk populations.And to discuss the significance of screening congenital heart defects by three methods and select the suitable method for wider applications. Methods The echocardiographic records of all pregnant women performed at our hospital from January 2006 to December 2007 were reviewed retrospectively by screening of clinical epidemiology. All cases received ultrasonic examinations. The abnormal cases with postnatal confirmation by echocardiogram or autopsy were included. The abnormalities detected in each view were analyzed and classified. Results A total of 52 fetuses with congenital heart defects were detected by gray scale sonography and color Doppler sonography in 1310 cases. Each specific cardiac defect had its typical finding in these three planes. The sensitivities of three methods were 61.5%, 88. 5% and 96. 1% respectively.Conclusion Four chamber view, outflow tract view and color Doppler sonography have played an important role in screening fetal common congenital heart defects. Outflow tract view is easy to operate and it may be recommended as a suitable method. Key words: Prenatal Ultrasonography;  Heart diseases;  Fetus