Prenatal Diagnosis of Fetal Heart Failure
Fetal heart failure (FHF) is a condition of inability of the fetal heart to deliver adequate blood flow for tissue perfusion in various organs, especially the brain, heart, liver and kidneys. FHF is associated with inadequate cardiac output, which is commonly encountered as the final outcome of seve...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Diagnostics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/13/4/779 |
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| author | Kasemsri Srisupundit Suchaya Luewan Theera Tongsong |
| author_facet | Kasemsri Srisupundit Suchaya Luewan Theera Tongsong |
| author_sort | Kasemsri Srisupundit |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fetal heart failure (FHF) is a condition of inability of the fetal heart to deliver adequate blood flow for tissue perfusion in various organs, especially the brain, heart, liver and kidneys. FHF is associated with inadequate cardiac output, which is commonly encountered as the final outcome of several disorders and may lead to intrauterine fetal death or severe morbidity. Fetal echocardiography plays an important role in diagnosis of FHF as well as of the underlying causes. The main findings supporting the diagnosis of FHF include various signs of cardiac dysfunction, such as cardiomegaly, poor contractility, low cardiac output, increased central venous pressures, hydropic signs, and the findings of specific underlying disorders. This review will present a summary of the pathophysiology of fetal cardiac failure and practical points in fetal echocardiography for diagnosis of FHF, focusing on essential diagnostic techniques used in daily practice for evaluation of fetal cardiac function, such as myocardial performance index, arterial and systemic venous Doppler waveforms, shortening fraction, and cardiovascular profile score (CVPs), a combination of five echocardiographic markers indicative of fetal cardiovascular health. The common causes of FHF are reviewed and updated in detail, including fetal dysrhythmia, fetal anemia (e.g., alpha-thalassemia, parvovirus B19 infection, and twin anemia-polycythemia sequence), non-anemic volume load (e.g., twin-to-twin transfusion, arteriovenous malformations, and sacrococcygeal teratoma, etc.), increased afterload (intrauterine growth restriction and outflow tract obstruction, such as critical aortic stenosis), intrinsic myocardial disease (cardiomyopathies), congenital heart defects (Ebstein anomaly, hypoplastic heart, pulmonary stenosis with intact interventricular septum, etc.) and external cardiac compression. Understanding the pathophysiology and clinical courses of various etiologies of FHF can help physicians make prenatal diagnoses and serve as a guide for counseling, surveillance and management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:57:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b18f4d4341a8432f9026150897b8c8d4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4418 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:57:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diagnostics |
| spelling | doaj.art-b18f4d4341a8432f9026150897b8c8d42023-11-16T20:02:52ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182023-02-0113477910.3390/diagnostics13040779Prenatal Diagnosis of Fetal Heart FailureKasemsri Srisupundit0Suchaya Luewan1Theera Tongsong2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, ThailandDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, ThailandDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, ThailandFetal heart failure (FHF) is a condition of inability of the fetal heart to deliver adequate blood flow for tissue perfusion in various organs, especially the brain, heart, liver and kidneys. FHF is associated with inadequate cardiac output, which is commonly encountered as the final outcome of several disorders and may lead to intrauterine fetal death or severe morbidity. Fetal echocardiography plays an important role in diagnosis of FHF as well as of the underlying causes. The main findings supporting the diagnosis of FHF include various signs of cardiac dysfunction, such as cardiomegaly, poor contractility, low cardiac output, increased central venous pressures, hydropic signs, and the findings of specific underlying disorders. This review will present a summary of the pathophysiology of fetal cardiac failure and practical points in fetal echocardiography for diagnosis of FHF, focusing on essential diagnostic techniques used in daily practice for evaluation of fetal cardiac function, such as myocardial performance index, arterial and systemic venous Doppler waveforms, shortening fraction, and cardiovascular profile score (CVPs), a combination of five echocardiographic markers indicative of fetal cardiovascular health. The common causes of FHF are reviewed and updated in detail, including fetal dysrhythmia, fetal anemia (e.g., alpha-thalassemia, parvovirus B19 infection, and twin anemia-polycythemia sequence), non-anemic volume load (e.g., twin-to-twin transfusion, arteriovenous malformations, and sacrococcygeal teratoma, etc.), increased afterload (intrauterine growth restriction and outflow tract obstruction, such as critical aortic stenosis), intrinsic myocardial disease (cardiomyopathies), congenital heart defects (Ebstein anomaly, hypoplastic heart, pulmonary stenosis with intact interventricular septum, etc.) and external cardiac compression. Understanding the pathophysiology and clinical courses of various etiologies of FHF can help physicians make prenatal diagnoses and serve as a guide for counseling, surveillance and management.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/13/4/779echocardiographyfetuscardiac functionheart failuremyocardial performancepressure overload |
| spellingShingle | Kasemsri Srisupundit Suchaya Luewan Theera Tongsong Prenatal Diagnosis of Fetal Heart Failure Diagnostics echocardiography fetus cardiac function heart failure myocardial performance pressure overload |
| title | Prenatal Diagnosis of Fetal Heart Failure |
| title_full | Prenatal Diagnosis of Fetal Heart Failure |
| title_fullStr | Prenatal Diagnosis of Fetal Heart Failure |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prenatal Diagnosis of Fetal Heart Failure |
| title_short | Prenatal Diagnosis of Fetal Heart Failure |
| title_sort | prenatal diagnosis of fetal heart failure |
| topic | echocardiography fetus cardiac function heart failure myocardial performance pressure overload |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/13/4/779 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kasemsrisrisupundit prenataldiagnosisoffetalheartfailure AT suchayaluewan prenataldiagnosisoffetalheartfailure AT theeratongsong prenataldiagnosisoffetalheartfailure |