Prenatal echocardiographic features and outcomes of congenital ventricular outpouching in ten fetuses / 中华围产医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To summarize the echocardiographic features and outcomes in fetuses with congenital ventricular outpouching (CVO).Methods:This retrospective study enrolled ten fetuses diagnosed with CVO by fetal echocardiography in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University and Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital from January 2015 to April 2022. Clinical data were analyzed, including echocardiographic features, other intracardiac and extracardiac malformations, karyotypes, and pregnancy outcomes. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics.Results:All ten cases were single, including eight ventricular diverticula and two ventricular aneurysms. Five cases had the anomaly in the left ventricular and the other five in the right. Five cases were isolated malformations, and the other five were complicated by other intra- or extracardiac malformations. A pathogenic copy number variation was detected in one case. Three pregnancies were terminated, and one was lost to follow-up. The other six fetuses were born alive and showed no obvious clinical symptoms or abnormalities in growth and development during 3-70 months of follow-up. The right ventricular diverticulum spontaneously disappeared in one case. One case with the right ventricular aneurysm was also diagnosed with noncompaction of the left ventricular myocardium by echocardiography at six months.Conclusions:Fetal CVO presents with typical echocardiographic features and can be diagnosed prenatally. Regular follow-up during pregnancy is recommended to observe the sizes of outpouchings and the occurrence of complications in fetuses with CVO after excluding other structural and chromosomal abnormalities to avoid unnecessary termination. Attention should also be paid to postnatal follow-up.