Screening for cardiac anomalies in the first and second trimesters – diagnosing challenging cases

A.C. Comănescu, M.C. Comănescu, N. Cernea, A. Preda, A.I. Popa

Rezumat: Screening for cardiac anomalies represents a critical component of contemporary prenatal care, embodying a proactive approach to identifying congenital heart defects in developing fetuses. Cardiac anomalies represent a diverse spectrum of structural and functional abnormalities that may affect the heart and the great vessels. Prenatal screening for cardiac anomalies is integral to the early detection and management of congenital heart disease. This work is part of a larger study that involved the screening for fetal cardiac anomalies and the journey from suspicion to diagnosis, and analyzed cases screened from 2018 to 2023 at the Prenatal Diagnosis Unit of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania. In this paper, we analyzed certain cases that proved challenging in the first instance or needed a second opinion or an expert examination. We also reviewed cases that were missed in the first trimester and diagnosed later, to establish what was missing from the initial examination to make the diagnosis at that time.
Cuvinte cheie: cardiac anomalies screening, prenatal diagnosis.