You can selectively provide your consent below to allow such third party embeds. Careers. We are still awaiting the full genetic karyotyping but the specialist didnt anticipate it showing anything serious. Of course I googled it and it says it common in Asian babies which my baby will be half Asian. If the pregnant woman has no other risk factors and the ultrasound shows no other signs of abnormal findings that suggest a genetic malformation, then no. Can be observed 1 in 5 pregnancy, during second and third trimester. A Group Leader is a What to Expect community member who has been selected by our staff to help maintain a positive, supportive tone within a group. Karyotypic information was obtained on each fetus. Although most fetuses with this finding are normal, patients carrying fetuses with an echogenic intracardiac focus should be counseled about the increased risk of trisomy 21. The results indicate EIF. These minerals are what we call radiopaque. Keep us posted on how the genetic karyotyping turns out! EIFs are found in about 35% of normal pregnancies and cause no health problems. thats great to hear everything has come back negative so far! This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice. We respect everyones right to express their thoughts and opinions as long as they remain respectful of other community members, and meet What to Expects Terms of Use. What I honestly love about it is that it is both informative and humorous, which is exactly what an expecting couple needs. Prentice G, Welsh A, Howat A, Ross D, Henry A. Australas J Ultrasound Med. If we keep this up, youll graduate from medical school in a week! View Yuranga Weerakkody's current disclosures, see full revision history and disclosures, monochorionic monoamniotic twin pregnancy, absent umbilical arterial end diastolic flow, reversal of umbilical arterial end diastolic flow, fetal middle cerebral arterial Doppler assessment, spectrum of abnormal placental villous adherence, traumatic abruptio placental scale (for CT), abnormal endometrial thickness (differential), serous type adenocarcinoma of the endometrium, clear cell type adenocarcinoma of the endometrium, mucinous type adenocarcinoma of the endometrium, prostate peripheral zone T2 hypointensity, juvenile granulosa cell tumor of the testis, abnormal testicular Doppler flow (differential), autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD), cystitis following radiation or chemotherapy, the presence of an echogenic intracardiac focus has to be interpreted in the context of maternal risk factors and other sonographic anomalies, when seen in isolation in a normal pregnancy it is considered a benign variant and some authors state karyotyping is unwarranted in the mid-trimester fetus with an incidental finding of fetal heart echogenic focus. Echogenic Intracardiac Focus: A bright white dot in the fetal heart An echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a bright white spot in the fetal heart that looks like a tiny golf ball. Flu symptoms (fever, chills, body aches, etc.). All Rights Reserved, We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 01 May 2023) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-10787. No Down Syndrome. Well always give you an honest answer. 14. I am working with the doctor to know more but until I meet with them or nurses, I need some motherly advice. EIFs are found in about 3-5% of normal pregnancies and cause no health problems.") My doctor didnt seem to be too worried, since it's the only soft marker for DS they were able to see. It is so common in babies with Asian ethnicity that it cant even be used as a marker. Objective: I ended up getting a level 2 ultrasound (for something else- my second baby was born with a birth defect and it could happen again), but they checked on the marker on the heart and the specialist said her daughter had one as well and it was nothing. 2021 Mar 26;12:626044. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2021.626044. , I will mama! They simply shrivel up and waste away. Copyright Rachel Rodgers Design 2021. He is perfectly fine and so is his heart. I had mine done this week and was told the same.. had an appointment with a genetic counselor because my head was going 100 different directions. First time mom here! Researchers have noted an association between an EIF and a chromosome problem in the baby. If we see this defect on an ultrasound, well thoroughly examine the baby to make sure everything else is developing as expected. 2000;15 (6): 460-2. Which is just a fancy word for a substance or a material that appears bright on a scan. {"url":"/signup-modal-props.json?lang=us"}, Weerakkody Y, Goel A, El-Feky M, et al. EIF is considered a normal pregnancy variation, but prenatal screening tests may be desirable to test for any abnormalities. If thats the only marker I would think it unlikely that your baby has DS. My question is why bother? If you ask me whats my favorite book to recommend to pregnant women? Sometimes; however, when a mineral such as calcium aggregates together. Choroid plexus cysts on their own are not harmful. The symptoms on the ultrasound are small head circumference (measuring 8th percentile), echogenic intracardiac focus and two very small benign echogenic foci on the liver. It is an "extremely wimpy" indicator of downsas in most babies who have an echogenic focus do not have downs, and most kids with downs do . Mumbai. Front Genet. ADVERTISEMENT: Radiopaedia is free thanks to our supporters and advertisers. It is NOT an abnormality and is NOT associated with heart defects. Most fetuses with these findings will, however, not have chromosomal abnormalities, especially when these findings are isolated. Use of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy. eCollection 2019 Nov. Song Y, Xu J, Li H, Gao J, Wu L, He G, Liu W, Hu Y, Peng Y, Yang F, Jiang X, Wang J. AJR Am J Roentgenol. Our baby was born February 24th perfectly healthy! When an echogenic intracardiac focus is identified in an otherwise normal second trimester fetus, a normal cell-free DNA test can be very reassuring and obviate the need for invasive testing. The same logic applies here; the heart is a muscle. Your Pregnancy Matters, Although most fetuses with this finding are normal, patients carrying fetuses with an echogenic intracardiac focus should be counseled about the increased risk of trisomy 21. Youve probably have taken an X-ray before, right? You need to ask your doctor who probably has already discussed the significance with the radiologist. So our first question when we detect a bright spot is about the parents ethnic backgrounds. It was only flagged for me because the baby showed 3 different spots. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value for using the presence of an echogenic intracardiac focus to identify a fetus with Down syndrome was 18.2, 95.3, and 6.1%, respectively. We can find multiple bright spots in the babys heart! But echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is almost never something to worry about. This is thought to represent mineralization, or small deposits of calcium, in the muscle of the heart. Cold symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath). Abnormal valves, mainly mitral hypoplasia and regurgitation. The published risks of Down syndrome among fetuses with echogenic cardiac foci have varied from no increased risk up to a four-fold increase in the age-related risk. An echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) does not affect health of the baby or how the baby's heart works. Several studies suggested a risk of about 1%. Please whitelist our site to get all the best deals and offers from our partners. Although most fetuses with this finding are normal, patients carrying fetuses with an echogenic intracardiac focus should be counseled about the increased risk of trisomy 21. 203, 2nd floor, 71 Raintree, 2nd lane, Hindu colony, Near Swaminarayan temple Search Conditions & Treatments My patients emotional health is just as important as their physical health, and I dont want them to worry unnecessarily. This bright spot, which is usually seen in the ventricle of the heart, is referred to as an echogenic intracardiac focus. my baby has an EIF and I decided to do an amnio because if my baby had Down syndrome I wanted to know. There are two kinds of prenatal tests available, screening tests and diagnostic procedures. Group Leaders communicate with staff moderators and escalate potential violations for review, but they dont moderate discussions. I didnt have any genetic testing done so Im not sure if Im at risk or not for Down Syndrome but from my research its very unlikely the baby has Down Syndrome unless paired with other markers. Does anyone know why they recommend this? intracardiac echogenic foci,karyotype analyses revealed trisomy 21in14(2%)fetuses.The sonographically identifiable intracardiac echo-genic focimeasured 1-2mm indiameter. Poorly Controlled seizure unusual presentation of long QT sydrome. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Bromley and co-workers 1995(6). Ill be sending you and baby all the love . and transmitted securely. 2004;23 (7): 895-8. Just wanted to say thank you again to everyone for the advice and positive thoughts-you all really helped ease my mind. An echogenic focus on its own poses no health risk to the fetus, and when the baby is born, there are no risks to their health or cardiac functioning as a result of an EIF. With just an echogenic focus, your odds of down syndrome do not change at all. The dr. We strive to provide you with a high quality community experience. Bromley B, Lieberman E, Shipp TD, Richardson M, Benacerraf BR. Expecting parents encounter an abundance of medical terms during pregnancy. 1st Pregnancy. Echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a relatively common sonographic observation that may be present on an antenatal ultrasound scan. I am googling and stressing myself out and I know it's not good for the baby either. Please Note: You can also scroll through stacks with your mouse wheel or the keyboard arrow keys. 203, 2nd floor, 71 Raintree, 2nd lane, Hindu colony. This is commonly referred to as an EIF (echogenic intracardiac focus) or echogenic foci (plural). Four of 22 fetuses (18%) with trisomy 21 had an echogenic intracardiac focus, compared with 62 (4.7%) of 1312 fetuses without Down syndrome who also had an echogenic intracardiac focus (P = .004). Methods: The exam looks at the four chambers of the fetal heart; the right atrium, left atrium, right ventricle, and left ventricle. Echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a relatively common sonographic observation that may be present on an antenatal ultrasound scan. What is echogenic focus in heart? Mumbai. I would like to know if anyone has got EIT before and Im really worried as a first time mom, dr said its nothing to worry about, that its common and goes away. [2] Results take about two weeks. Radiology. My Dr told me not to worry but scheduled me to see a specialist for his heart to double check. An echogenic intracardiac focus has been associated with an increased risk of Down syndrome and trisomy 13 (1), trisomy 18 and monosomy X (2-5). Your post will be hidden and deleted by moderators. Patients who do not require an urgent visit will be rescheduled for a telehealth visit (see below). Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Carrying a genetic dislocation for Down syndrome. The 18-23 week scan. In isolation, it is not a risk factor for chromosomal anomaly. It will not permanently affect your baby's heart. This is thought to represent mineralization, or small deposits of calcium, in the muscle of the heart. This bright spot, which is usually seen in the ventricle of the heart, is referred to as an echogenic intracardiac focus. Prior, we had a negative NIPT and a good nuchal screen avg 1.63mm and normal. Please specify a reason for deleting this reply from the community. Your doctor will probably refer you to a maternal-fetal medicine doctor for advanced imaging of the findings, just to be safe. 3. doi: 10.1055/a-1118-3974. I guess this is a soft marker for downs syndrome but since there is only this marker, everything else on the scan was perfect, and I'm low risk, its unlikely that this means my baby has downs. Even though when the doctor is facing a patient, the heart of that patient is located on the right side from the doctors perspective. The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Echogenic intracardiac focus. Though typically harmless, the defect also carries a slightly higher risk for chromosomal conditions such asDown syndrome. If the mother has screened positive for higher risk of the chromosome abnormality trisomy 18 in pregnancy, we would talk about additional testing. They may be more common in the Asian population 5 . Our baby had an echogenic focus on the left ventricle as well at our 20 week ultrasound. Prenatal screening tests can help find out if there is a higher or lower chance of having a baby with a certain problem. Echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a relatively common sonographic observation that may be present on an antenatal ultrasound scan. The early reports of sonographically detected intracardiac echogenic foci mainly concerned isolated echogenic spots in the fetal left ventricle 1-3.Subsequently, echogenic foci were detected in the right ventricle, both ventricles and even in the left atrium 4, 5.Since the original description in 1988 the significance of these echogenic foci has been controversial, with some authors . Ultrasound in obstetrics & gynecology : the official journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. While it is impossible to be completely certain that no birth defects are present in the baby, most pregnancies with isolated ElF (no other abnormal ultrasound findings) will result in a healthy baby. Echogenic Intracardiac Focus: A bright white dot in the fetal heart An echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a bright white spot in the fetal heart that looks like a tiny golf ball.
