Patient's question:
Problem Description: Doctor, I went to the hospital yesterday for an ultrasound, and the results are as follows: A fetal head was detected on the right side of the umbilicus, with a biparietal diameter of about 51 mm, a head circumference of 180 mm, and an abdominal circumference of 156 mm. The cranial bone is continuous and intact, the midline of the brain is central, and the lip line is continuous. The spine is arranged neatly, with no interruptions observed. The four-chamber heart of the fetus can be seen, and the fetal heart rate is regular, HR 143 times per minute. There is a focal strong echo in the left ventricle, with no obvious acoustic shadow behind it. The posterior wall of the placenta is 21 mm, with a maturity of grade 0. The amniotic fluid depth is about 46 mm, with clear internal. The femur length is about 35 mm. PW measurement shows that the pulsatility wave velocity (PSV) of the fetal umbilical artery is 33.4 cm/s, and the S/D ratio is...Doctor's answer:
Echogenic intracardiac focus (EICF). Definition: Focal area of enhanced echogenicity in the fetal cardiac papillary muscle, with echo intensity similar to that of bone. It can occur in one or both ventricles. Relationship with fetal haplotype abnormalities: Isolated left ventricular focal strong echo is more common, with the likelihood of fetal haplotype abnormalities being only 0-1.8%. In the right ventricle, multiple or prominent focal strong echoes are associated with an increased risk of fetal haplotype abnormalities, and fetal chromosome karyotyping should be performed if possible. Relationship with non-chromosomal fetal abnormalities: Echogenic intracardiac focus is unrelated to congenital heart defects and other non-chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus. The frequency of occurrence in Asians is higher than in Caucasians. If only echogenic intracardiac focus is found in the fetus without other positive findings, it should be recorded in the ultrasound report, and no further examinations (such as echocardiography) are necessary. However, during ultrasound examinations, attention should be paid to the examination and measurement of other fetal soft markers, as well as the presence of other high-risk factors, such as maternal age. When the maternal age is 33 or older, the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in fetuses with echogenic intracardiac focus is approximately 1/600.