Echocardiographic Findings in Fetuses With Vascular Lesions or Malformations

Abstract

Fetal vascular lesions or malformations such as sacrococcygeal teratomas, cervical teratomas, chorioangiomas, and vein of Galen aneurysms are associated with an increased risk of fetal death due to cardiac failure and hydrops. Large vascular lesions have the potential to result in increased cardiac output and volume overload on the fetal heart. As the heart compensates for the increasing blood flow, cardiovascular changes, demonstrable on fetal echocardiography, are likely to occur in the fetus. In the current era of fetal intervention and surgery, it is important to characterize these changes as a means of recognizing cardiac dysfunction and selecting patients for fetal intervention and management. This retrospective study characterizes the echocardiographic findings in fetuses with vascular lesions or malformations using 2D, color, and pulsed-wave Doppler imaging.