Characteristics of echocardiographic imaging and pathology in fetuses with hypoplastic right heart syndrome

Abstract

Objective To detect the echocardiographic and pathologic characteristics of hypoplastic right heart syndrome (HRHS) during fetal period.Methods The pathomorphology of fetal heart specimens with HRHS was detected,and the sections of the right ventricle,pulmonary artery and pulmonary conus were studied by light microscopy.Prenatal echocardiographic images were analysed retrospectively.Results Ten formalin-fixed necropsy heart specimens with HRHS were selected.Among the specimens,transverse diameter and vertical diameter of right ventricular and pulmonary artery measured values was smaller than those of control group,the difference was statistically significant (P ＜0.05),tricuspid regurgitation area and regurgitation velocity was significantly greater than that in control group and the difference was statistically significant(P ＜0.05).Histological change of right ventricular myocardial fibrosis was present in 100％.The coincidence of prenatal echocardiographic diagnosis was 100％.Conclusions There is higher accuracy of prenatal echocardiography in diagnosing fetal HRHS.Marked histological abnormalities in right ventricular myocardium,pulmonary artery and pulmonary conus with HRHS exist excepting morphologic abnormalities. Key words: Ultrasonography, prenatal; Fetus; Heart defects, congenital; Hypoplastic right heart syndrome