Reliability of Early Fetal Echocardiography for Congenital Heart Disease Detection: A Preliminary Experience and Outcome Analysis of 102 Fetuses to Demonstrate the Value of a Clinical Flow-Chart Designed for At-Risk Pregnancy Management

Early fetal echocardiography (EFEC) is a fetal cardiac ultrasound analysis performed between the 12th and 16th week of pregnancy (compared with the usual 18-22 weeks). In the last 10 years, the introduction of “aneuploidy sonographic markers” in screening for cardiac defects has led to a shift from late second to end of the first trimester or beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy for specialist fetal echocardiography. In this prospective study, early obstetric screening was performed between January 2014 and October 2015, using “aneuploidy sonographic markers” following SIEOG Guidelines 2014. These parameters were then collected and strategically combined in an evaluation score to select the group of pregnancies for performing EFEC, in accordance with the American Society of Echocardiography guidelines for fetal Echocardiography. All second-level examinations were performed transabdominally using a 3D convex volumetric probe with frequency range of 4-8 MHz (Accuvix – Samsung). The outcome data included transabdominal fetal echocardiography from 18 weeks to term and after birth. Overall, 99 pregnant women in the first trimester underwent EFEC (95 singleton and 4 twin pregnancies). Specifically, 30 fetuses were evaluated for extra-cardiac anomalies evidenced by obstetric screening (30%), 25 for family history of congenital heart diseases (25%), 8 for family history of genetic-linked diseases (8%), 4 for heart diseases suspected by obstetric screening (4%) and 19 by normal screening (19%). Was detected 11 (10.7%) CHD, when EFEC detected CHD, were compared to those performed later in pregnancy (18 weeks GA-term), a high degree of diagnosis correspondence was evidenced. The higher sensitivity value of EFEC vs late-FE, in comparison with the post-natal value, coupled with the high EFEC specificity shown vs both the end points, enabled us to consider it as a really reliable diagnostic technology, at least in perienced hands. The introduction of a key combination of the more sensitive obstetric and cardiologic variables should facilitate the formulation of a possible flow-chart as a guide for CHD at-risk pregnancies.