Does echogenic focus mean Down syndrome?
Some authors have determined that the echogenic focus, even as an isolated finding, is likely to be statistically significantly associated with Down syndrome in low-risk populations8, 10 by extrapolating data obtained in high-risk populations.
What is the meaning of echogenic foci?
An echogenic intracardiac focus is a small bright spot seen within the region of the heart seen during an ultrasound examination. Most commonly found in the left ventricle of the developing heart, it is important to understand that it doesn’t affect the functioning of the heart per se.
What causes echogenic foci?
The cause of an echogenic intracardiac focus is unknown. It is possible that calcium deposits in the muscle wall of the ventricles may cause these spots. Calcium is a natural mineral found in the body. Areas of the body that have more calcium, such as bones, show up brighter on an ultrasound.
Is EIF a marker for Down syndrome?
Two studies performed in low-risk patients demonstrated an isolated EIF in only one of 626 Down syndrome fetuses. Both studies concluded that isolated EIF was not a marker for Down syndrome in low-risk patients (21,839 total patients).
What causes echogenic foci in fetal?
An echogenic intracardiac focus (or EIF) is a small bright spot seen on a developing baby’s heart during an ultrasound. The cause of EIF is unknown, but the condition is generally harmless. EIF is considered a normal pregnancy variation, but prenatal screening tests may be desirable to test for any abnormalities.
How common are echogenic foci?
If there is more than one bright spot, they are called echogenic foci. This common ultrasound finding is seen in about 1 out of every 20 or 30 pregnancies (~3-5%). An echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) does not affect health of the baby or how the baby’s heart works.
Is echogenic focus common?
Are isolated echogenic foci in the left upper quadrant of fetal abdomen significant?
Many echogenic foci in the left upper quadrant of the fetal abdomen will disappear, and the outcome is promising even when the lesion persists after birth. Isolated echogenic foci in the left upper quadrant of the fetal abdomen: are they significant?
How common is an echogenic focus in pregnancy?
Surprisingly, this finding is quite common. In fact, up to 20% or 1 in 5 babies are found to have an echogenic focus in the second or third trimester of the pregnancy. Of course, this isn’t an exact number.
What are intracardiac echogenic foci?
Intracardiac echogenic foci are very frequent findings during routine fetal ultrasound examination and sometimes a reason for referral of patients for fetal echocardiography.
What are the different fetal echocardiography views?
fetal morphology assessment fetal echocardiography views four chamber view (fetal) LVOT view (fetal) RVOT view (fetal) non-visualization of the fetal stomach