TY - JOUR
T1 - Fetal cardiac calcifications
T2 - Report of four prenatally diagnosed cases and review of the literature
AU - Simchen, M. J.
AU - Toi, A.
AU - Silver, M.
AU - Smith, C. R.
AU - Hornberger, L. K.
AU - Taylor, G.
AU - Chitayat, D.
N1 - Funding Information:
In writing this Introduction, we have drawn heavily on the Handbook chapters. This will be evident from the frequency of cross-references, although we have tried to stop short of the point at which such references become tedious to the reader. We are most grateful to Rolf Aaberge, Facundo Alvaredo, Andrew Berg, Andrea Brandolini, Daniele Checchi, Pierre-André Chiappori, Andrew Clark, Koen Decancq, Jean-Yves Duclos, Francesco Figari, Michael Förster, Marc Fleurbaey, Stephen Jenkins, Salvatore Morelli, Dominique Meurs, Brian Nolan, Jonathan Ostry, Alari Paulus, Sophie Ponthieux, Thomas Piketty, Victor Rios-Rull, Wiemer Salverda, Tim Smeeding, Frederick Solt, Holly Sutherland, István Tóth, Alain Trannoy, and Daniel Waldenström for their very helpful comments on the draft of the Introduction, but none of them should be held responsible in any way for its contents. We thank Maarit Kivilo for her help with the bibliography. Atkinson's research for the Introduction was carried out as part of the EMoD program supported by INET at the Oxford Martin School.
PY - 2006/3
Y1 - 2006/3
N2 - Fetal cardiac calcifications are defined as diffuse hyperechogenicities in the different layers of the heart. This is an uncommon fetal ultrasound finding associated with significant myocardial dysfunction. We report four cases with massive fetal myocardial calcifications detected on prenatal ultrasound at 18-22 weeks' gestation and associated, in all cases, with significant cardiac dysfunction. Detailed fetal echocardiographic evaluation, chromosome analysis, and an extensive search for intrauterine infection as a cause of these abnormalities, were carried out on all cases. A thorough autopsy was performed on all deceased fetuses and postnatal investigation of the sole survivor was performed. Two of our patients chose to interrupt their pregnancies, one fetus suffered intrauterine demise, and one child was born alive. In all of our cases the karyotypes were normal, and no specific infectious etiology or maternal autoantibody was noted. Histopathology findings in the non-survivors included myo- and epicardial calcification maximal at the base of the heart. The living child has findings suggestive of an intrauterine infection, although no infectious entity was identified. Long-term follow-up showed sensorineural hearing loss and severe developmental delay.
AB - Fetal cardiac calcifications are defined as diffuse hyperechogenicities in the different layers of the heart. This is an uncommon fetal ultrasound finding associated with significant myocardial dysfunction. We report four cases with massive fetal myocardial calcifications detected on prenatal ultrasound at 18-22 weeks' gestation and associated, in all cases, with significant cardiac dysfunction. Detailed fetal echocardiographic evaluation, chromosome analysis, and an extensive search for intrauterine infection as a cause of these abnormalities, were carried out on all cases. A thorough autopsy was performed on all deceased fetuses and postnatal investigation of the sole survivor was performed. Two of our patients chose to interrupt their pregnancies, one fetus suffered intrauterine demise, and one child was born alive. In all of our cases the karyotypes were normal, and no specific infectious etiology or maternal autoantibody was noted. Histopathology findings in the non-survivors included myo- and epicardial calcification maximal at the base of the heart. The living child has findings suggestive of an intrauterine infection, although no infectious entity was identified. Long-term follow-up showed sensorineural hearing loss and severe developmental delay.
KW - Cardiac calcifications
KW - Cardiomyopathy
KW - Fetal echocardiography
KW - Intrauterine infection
KW - Prenatal diagnosis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33646688468&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/uog.2689
DO - 10.1002/uog.2689
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C2 - 16485251
AN - SCOPUS:33646688468
SN - 0960-7692
VL - 27
SP - 325
EP - 330
JO - Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
JF - Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
IS - 3
ER -