Algorithm of monitoring children with hyperechogenic intracardiac focus
T.V. CHERNYSHEVA¹, E.I. MALININA2, O.A. RYCHKOVA2
¹Tyumen Cardiology Research Center ― branch of Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 111 Melnikayte Str., Tyumen, Russian Federation, 625026
2Tyumen State Medical University, 54 Odesskaya Str., Tyumen, Russian Federation, 625023
Chernysheva T.V. ― Cand. Med. Sc., Head of Children’s Department, e-mail: cardio72@rambler.ru
The health status of children with hyperechogenic intracardiac focus (HEIF), visualized prenatally, was assessed. It is stated that in the postnatal period, HEIF is regressed in most cases. 24.8% of the prenatally visualized cases are visualized after birth; by the age of six months, 12.1% retain this syndrome, and by the age of 1 year ― 4.2%. Weak correlations of the after birth HEIF were found with the congenital heart disease (R=0.190, p=0.01) and structural defects of the internal organs (R=0.301, p<0.001). 88.9% children with prenatally diagnosed HEIF are characterized by the presence of small heart anomalies, which is statistically significantly higher than in the control group (p=0.016) and reflects the morphogenesis disorder in connective tissue in the fetal period. The ECG changes are determined in the first group more often than in the second one: incomplete right bundle-branch block (p<0.018), disorder of the ventricles repolarization processes (p<0.03). Posthypoxic cerebral ischemia (p=0.006) and anemia (p=0.05) are diagnosed in children with HEIF statistically significantly more often. New data on the prognostic significance of the «golf ball» ultrasound phenomenon have been obtained, and an algorithm for antenatal and postnatal observation of children with HEIF has been presented.
Key words: hyperechogenic intracardiac focus (HEIF), small abnormalities of cardiac development, posthypoxic cardiopathy, chronic intrauterine hypoxia.
REFERENCES
- Medvedev M.V. Screening of the fetal heart: recommendations for conducting a «routine» and «extended routine» assessment of the heart. Recommendations of the International Society of specialists in ultrasound diagnostics in obstetrics and gynecology. Prenatal’naya diagnostika, 2006, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 17-23 (in Russ.).
- Makogon A.V., Kalenitskaya L.V. Prenatal echographic diagnosis of Down syndrome. Ul’trazvukovaya i funktsional’naya diagnostika, 2007, no. 4, pp. 65-66 (in Russ.).
- Allan L.D. ManuaI of fetal echocardiography. Lancaster, England: MTR Press Limited, 1986. 376 r.
- Bettelheim D., Deutinger J., Bemashek O. The value of echogenic foci (“golf balls”) in the fetal heart as a marker of chromosomal abnormalities. Ultrasound Obstet. Gynecol, 1999, vol. 14, rr. 98-100.
- Malinova M. Ultrasound markers for Down syndrome. Akush. Ginekol. (Sofiia), 2011, vol. 50, no. 6, rr. 37-42.
- Shakoor S., Ismail H., Munim S. Intracardiac echogenic focus and fetal outcome ― review of cases from a tertiary sage centre in Karachi, Pakistan. J. Matem. Fetal. Neonatal. Med, 2013, vol. 26, no. 1, rr. 2-4.
- Bethune M. Management options for echogenic intracardiac focus and choroid plexus cysts: a review including Australian association of obstetrical and gynecological ultrasonologists consensus statement. Australasian Radiology, 2007, vol. 51, rr. 324-329.
- Kazerouni N.N., Surrier R.J., Nodgkinson Sh., Goldman S., Lorey F., Roberson M. Ancillary benefits of prenatal matemal serum screening achieved in the Califomia program. Prenat. Diagn, 2010, vol. 30, rr. 981-987.
- Ageeva M.I., Lavrushina T.V., Tsvetkova R.R. What are the ultrasonic signs of hyperechoic focal changes in the chords of the atrioventricular valves of the fetus?: abstracts. Ul’trazvukovaya i funktsional’naya diagnostika, 2010, no. 4, pp. 84 (in Russ.).
- Rodriguez R., Nerrero B., Bartha J.L. The continuing enigma of the fetal echogenic intracardiac focus in prenatal ultrasound. Surr. Opin. Obstet. Gynecol, 2013, vol. 25, no. 2, rr. 145-51.
- Shkol’nikova M.A., Miklashevich I.M., Kalinin L.A. Normativnye parametry EKG u detey i podrostkov [Normative parameters of ECG in children and adolescents]. Moscow, 2010. 232 p.
- Belozerov Yu.M., Bolbikov V.V. Ul’trazvukovaya semiotika i diagnostika v kardiologii detskogo vozrasta [Ultrasonic semiotics and diagnostics in cardiology of childhood]. Moscow: Medpress-Inform, 2001. 176 p.


