Why Apply Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging to the Fetus: Is there a Need for Another Imaging Modality? Assessment of fetal cardiac anatomy and function is an important component of the…
Key Echocardiographic Features • Trace and identify the insertion of the umbilical vein into the fetus and follow its course to the heart. • Determine whether the umbilical vein connects…
Key Echocardiographic Features • Compression of the heart, with small cardiothoracic ratio. • Abnormal position of the heart within the chest. • Distortion of the inferior vena cava as it…
Key Echocardiographic Features • Investigate for heart size (cardiothoracic ratio). • Investigate systolic function, qualitative and quantitative (myocardial performance index, shortening fraction). • Look for evidence of pericardial effusion or…
Key Echocardiographic Features • Enlarged heart, but with relatively preserved systolic function. • No other obvious explanation as to why the heart is enlarged. • Both right and left side…
Key Echocardiographic Features • Displacement of the cardiac position. • Small left ventricle cavity volume. • Assess mitral valve annulus and aortic annulus, which may be of normal size despite…
Key Echocardiographic Features • Identify the presence, position, and location of the ductus arteriosus as originating from the confluence of the branch pulmonary arteries off of the main pulmonary artery…
Key Echocardiographic Features • Presence of monochorionic pregnancy in which one twin has a primitive, ineffective heart. • Direction of flow in the umbilical artery is from placenta to fetus…
Key Echocardiographic Features • Identify the location of the abdominal organs (stomach and liver) and determine situs. • Identify the position of the heart in the chest (levocardia or dextrocardia)….
Key Echocardiographic Features • Lucency in the lung with color flow imaging highlighting increased flow within the lucency. • Dilated pulmonary veins and selective dilation of the left side of…
