This is considered a soft marker for chromosomal abnormalities (Down syndrome, Trisomy 13, etc). "An EIF is a bright spot in one of the chambers of the . New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 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. A few days later I get a call from my OB saying that baby is growing appropriate and everything looked great BUT there was a white spot found in his heart called Echogenic Intracardiac Focus. So, which chamber is the right or left one? What to Expect supports Group Black and its mission to increase greater diversity in media voices and media ownership. 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. 2020 Jan;99(5):e19014. "Some ultrasound findings, like an echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) are frequently detected on ultrasound," Dr. Chao says. Achiron R, Lipitz S, Gabbay U, Yagel S. Prenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis of fetal heart echogenic foci: no correlation with Down syndrome. Scheduled me for a 30 week scan and said its possible that the EIF could be gone by then anyways. However, if other risk factors are present. 89 (6): 945-8. Expanded video and phoneconsultation appointments are also available through theMy Health Connectionpatient portal. Just got back from my specialist ultrasound and everything is 100% normal. Keep us posted on how the genetic karyotyping turns out! Fetuses with an echogenic intracardiac focus have a significantly increased risk of Down syndrome. Isolated EIF and negative NIPT. 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. Carrying a genetic dislocation for Down syndrome. An isolated intracardiac echogenic focus as a marker for aneuploidy. No special treatment or tests are needed at delivery. Echogenic Intracardiac Focus: I just had an ultrasound at 22 weeks. Sometimes, one or more small bright spots are seen in the heart. May cause obstruction to mitral/ tricuspid/ aortic or pulmonary valve. MeSH 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. Sometimes, during these checkups, the doctor will find a bright spot in the fetuss heart. It needs to be differentiated from normal papillary muscle which is not as bright as bone and a moderator band which is situated at the ventricular apex. [1] Types of chromosome problems that are occasionally seen include trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome) or trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). EIF occurs in as many as5 percent of all pregnancies. 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. The majority of echogenic intracardiac foci are unilateral. At the time the article was created Yuranga Weerakkody had no recorded disclosures. Ultrasound Diagnosis of Fetal Anomalies. The cause of EIF is unknown, but the condition is generally harmless. My question is why bother? Incidence in normal fetuses = 4.8% ; Incidence in Down syndrome = 18% . I know these things are worrisome but if I were you Id just ignore it. It is not a birth defect. EIF has no impact on heart function before or after birth and almost never requires follow-up testing.If a patient has already had an amniocentesis orchorionic villus sampling (CVS), or even a cell-free fetal DNA screen, then all of these findings are even less important. They are thought to be present in ~4-5% of karyotypically normal fetuses. Expecting parents encounter an abundance of medical terms during pregnancy. thank you so much-that does give me some reassurance. An echogenic intracardiac focus (or EIF) is a small bright spot seen on a developing baby's heart during an ultrasound.The cause of EIF is unknown, but the condition is generally harmless.EIF is considered a normal pregnancy variation, but prenatal screening tests may be desirable to test for any abnormalities. The results indicate EIF. If there are no problems or chromosome abnormalities, EIFs are considered normal changes, or variants. 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 . J Ultrasound Med. This is thought to represent mineralization, or small deposits of calcium, in the muscle of the heart. Isolated findings may not need further evaluation. University of Colorado has also implemented increased restrictions for visitors. I was a bit worried during pregnancy but everything turned out good healthwise! Bromley B, Lieberman E, Shipp TD, Richardson M, Benacerraf BR. She said that it's nothing to worry about but it could be a marker for Down Syndrome. If you are using our Services via a browser you can restrict, block or remove cookies through your web browser settings. Thanks. Extrapolating to a lower risk population, the positive predictive value of an echogenic intracardiac focus for detecting Down syndrome in patients at an age-based risk of one in 250, one in 500, and one in 1000 was calculated to be 1.53, 0.77, and 0.39% respectively. But otherwise, virtually all of these cysts go away on their own with no long-term risk and no need for follow-up testing during or after pregnancy. 1st Pregnancy. Bradley KE, Santulli TS, Gregory KD et-al. Just freaking out a little and want to know. Prior, we had a negative NIPT and a good nuchal screen avg 1.63mm and normal. He said it happens in 1-5% of pregnancies. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the What do echogenic foci mean on ultrasound? Find a Doctor Echogenic intracardiac focus in 2nd-trimester fetuses with trisomy 21: usefulness as a US marker. Winter TC, Anderson AM, Cheng EY, Komarniski CA, Souter VL, Uhrich SB, Nyberg DA. Alone, markers almost always are harmless. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! Please specify a reason for deleting this reply from the community. thank you! 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). What is a dobutamine stress echocardiogram? Poorly Controlled seizure unusual presentation of long QT sydrome. I am working with the doctor to know more but until I meet with them or nurses, I need some motherly advice. For this reason, when a pregnant woman comes to the doctors office to check on her fetus, we dont use X-rays machines or a CT scan which also involves using X-ray beams. However, not all studies agree that there is any connection to Down syndrome. Before 203, 2nd floor, 71 Raintree, 2nd lane, Hindu colony, Near Swaminarayan temple Dadar East . She also told us that in Europe they don't even report it since it's benign if not accompanies with any other concern. Other studies report up to a 1% risk for Down syndrome when an EIF is seen on a second trimester fetal ultrasound exam. Find advice, support and good company (and some stuff just for fun). Although it can be associated with some genetic conditions such as Down syndrome, in most cases, its a fairly benign finding with no other implications. 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. , I will mama! It shows up as a bright spot on the heart in imaging, and it's thought to be a microcalcification on the heart muscle. [2] Results take about two weeks. 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 (EIF) is a relatively common sonographic observation that may be present on an antenatal ultrasound scan. Similar to choroid plexus cysts, this marker might indicate a chromosomal condition if paired with other worries on the ultrasound or an increased risk for Down syndrome or trisomy 13 on a prenatal screen. An EIF does not generally impact the overall health of the baby or the development of his or her heart. In our study, echogenic foci were predominantly found in the left ventricle (85%) similar to the 61-88% reported by others 2, 4, 10.. Smith-Bindman et al. Evidence of other "fetal findings" seen on the ultrasound that suggest a chromosome problem. I did go ahead and get the NIPT testing done, and everything came back low risk today . Just freaking out a little and want to know. 3. Wrede E, Knippel AJ, Verde PE, Hammer R, Kozlowski P. Ultrasound Int Open. Mine also has it. Are intracardiac echogenic foci markers of congenital heart disease in the fetus with chromosomal abnormalities? It disappears by the time of birth or after birth. It is not healthy for you or the baby. The cause of EIF is unknown, but the condition is generally harmless. Some researchers think single umbilical artery (SUA) might be associated with slightly smaller babies or delivering a few days early. The anatomy scan went well until they found an isolated EIF on left ventricle. Group Leaders communicate with staff moderators and escalate potential violations for review, but they dont moderate discussions. Echogenic bowel, which means the bowel area appears brighter than normal Choroid plexus cysts (CPC), a fluid-filled space in the brain which appears as a cyst and is not considered a brain abnormality, which is more commonly associated with trisomy 18 Renal pyelectasis, which means the main area of a kidney is enlarged We also use content and scripts from third parties that may use tracking technologies. Group Leaders communicate with staff moderators and escalate potential violations for review, but they dont moderate discussions. In association with some other anomaly, doctor may ask for genetic evaluation. Involves sub valvar apparatus of tricuspid or mitral valve. For instance, an X-ray machine uses a beam of radioactive x-rays and shoots them at the patient to see what image is created. The views expressed in community are solely the opinions of participants, and do not reflect those of What to Expect. My husband and I are both doctors and own our separate private offices . A small amount of amniotic fluid, which contains some fetal cells, is removed and tested. EIFs are found in about 3-5% of normal pregnancies and do not cause any health problems. Significance of an echogenic intracardiac focus in fetuses at high and low risk for aneuploidy. Our baby was born February 24th perfectly healthy! The provider said it could be a soft marker for Down syndrome, or could turn out to be nothing to worry about at all. The tightness of the association between an isolated EIF and aneuploidy continues to be debated. think twice before sharing personal details, foster a friendly and supportive environment, remove fake accounts, spam and misinformation, delete posts that violate our community guidelines, reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts. I am googling and stressing myself out and I know it's not good for the baby either. OB and genetic counselor let me know that it is something they have to mention but that this appears in 1 in 5 pregnancy anatomy scans with babies being okay. 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. I was diagnosed with this 2 weeks ago. I asked her if the heart was okay. In isolation, it is not a risk factor for chromosomal anomaly. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 01 May 2023) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-10787. That is usually done between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy (during the second trimester). More in: I also read it could be a marker for Down syndrome. This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice. Echogenic intracardiac focus was originally described as a normal variant and has been demonstrated to be micro-calcifications within the papillary muscle. 2019 Oct 11;22(4):253-264. doi: 10.1002/ajum.12180. Abnormal valves, mainly mitral hypoplasia and regurgitation. Gynecol. Glad to know Im not the only one , i was honestly confused / worried but of course happy everything else was fine. This bright spot is due to a bit of calcium in one of the muscles that attaches to the heart valve. He does have a speech delay but I dont think there is any correlation. Echogenic intracardiac focus is an ultrasound finding that is most commonly seen during the second and third trimester of pregnancy. G. GraceAriel. Like many topics about pregnancy, the echogenic intracardiac focus is surrounded by myths that scare the pregnant couple and that lack any scientific evidence or logic. This is thought to represent mineralization, or small deposits of calcium, in the muscle of the heart. There is no special testing recommended for pregnancies found to have an isolated EIF. 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. She mentioned a blood test that can determine (98%) chance that the baby has DS. . Combined with another marker or a screening test that suggests a high risk of chromosome concerns, the marker might indicate a higher risk for that condition. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. An intracardiac echogenic focus (ICEF) . 2021 Mar 26;12:626044. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2021.626044. Sonographic identification of an echogenic intracardiac focus was associated with a fourfold increased risk of Down syndrome (risk ratio 4.3, 95% confidence interval 1.5-12.3). BUT! Microcalcifications of the papillary muscles or chordae tendinae are being represented by this . eCollection 2021. I remember how much it stressed me out! Went to my anatomy scan today. Lets understand what is echogenic focus in heart and which cardiac defects one should be careful about. Pleasecontact our officeor notify our staff at check-in if you are experiencing any of the following: Patients with symptomswho require an urgent visitwill need to wear a mask during an in-person appointment. 2019 Nov;5(3):E98-E106. 13 estimated the sensitivity of an isolated echogenic focus for detecting trisomy 21 to be 11% (95% CI, 6-18) based on a meta-analysis of three publications 4, 6, 7.Winter et al. 1998 Feb;17(2):127-31. doi: 10.7863/jum.1998.17.2.127. pregnancy, Next Article The risk only becomes really significant when there are other risk factors involved in the pregnant woman. I will. Automated page speed optimizations for fast site performance, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, What to Expect When Youre Expecting by Heidi Murkoff, How To Reduce Inflammation In The Body Fast. 203, 2nd floor, 71 Raintree, 2nd lane, Hindu colony, Near Swaminarayan temple 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. 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. Some of these can be quite scary, particularly when the patient sees them in electronic medical records or imaging reports without context from a doctor. Especially considering the comments above about their baby having EIF and being totally healthy! The answer is in your first anatomy lecture below. 2001 Jun;20(6):655-74. doi: 10.7863/jum.2001.20.6.655. First time mom here! 1388 Replies. Would you like email updates of new search results? Obstetrics and gynecology. Prenatal screening tests can help find out if there is a higher or lower chance of having a baby with a certain problem. AJR Am J Roentgenol. LV was described as a duplicated focus. I was super stressed when I found this out and Im hoping I can give you some peace of mind! This is because your bones are mostly composed of minerals such as calcium and phosphate. Of course, this isnt an exact number. I did the NIPT testing and it flagged me high risk for triploidy so I had to see a fetal specialist. EIF is considered a normal pregnancy variation, but prenatal screening tests may be desirable to test for any abnormalities. Glad everything turned out well-hopefully I can say the same soon! Can be observed 1 in 5 pregnancy, during second and third trimester. Your doctor will probably refer you to a maternal-fetal medicine doctor for advanced imaging of the findings, just to be safe. Group Leaders arent expected to spend any additional time in the community, and are not held to a set schedule. An echogenic intracardiac focus is a small bright spot seen within the region of the heart seen during an ultrasound examination. The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff. The OB said the standard of care is to then proceed to a level 2 ultra sound. The amnio came back totally fine and the MFM doctor said EIFs are very common. Okay, so this is a first pregnancy and the doctor has mentioned an Echogenic Intracardiac Focus - EIF a white spot on the developing baby's heart. Forother healthconcerns, please contact us toschedule an appointment. Ultrasound in obstetrics & gynecology : the official journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. EIFs are found in about 3-5% of normal pregnancies and cause no health problems. 21 (4): 354-8. chronic prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS). However, it can be found anywhere inside the heart, and on rare occasions, the bright spot isnt an isolated finding. There are two kinds of prenatal tests available, screening tests and diagnostic procedures. 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. But on average, these babies weigh 6.5 pounds and arrive after 38 weeks of pregnancy not very small or very early. 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). Amniocentesis is a diagnostic procedure available until about 22 weeks of pregnancy for prenatal diagnosis of chromosome abnormalities. All Rights Reserved, We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. Shipp TD, Bromley B, Lieberman E et-al. An echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a relatively common finding, even in otherwise normal fetuses. Without the presence of other markers or abnormal screening results, I . Surprisingly, this finding is quite common. National Library of Medicine ADVERTISEMENT: Radiopaedia is free thanks to our supporters and advertisers. These white spots are most likely seen during your mid-pregnancy ultrasound, which takes place between 18 weeks and 22 weeks. Hope everything turns out okay! You need to ask your doctor who probably has already discussed the significance with the radiologist. EIF appear to be caused by deposits of calcium in the muscles or tendons of the heart. Lorente AMR, Moreno-Cid M, Rodrguez MJ, Bueno G, Tenas JM, Romn C, Arias , Pascual A. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol. No further exploration is needed and regular checkups should be scheduled normally. The 18-23 week scan. Significance of fetal intracardiac echogenic foci in relation to trisomy 21: a prospective sonographic study of high-risk pregnant women. Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Meta-Analysis of Second-Trimester Markers for Trisomy 21, January 2013. {"url":"/signup-modal-props.json?lang=us"}, Weerakkody Y, Goel A, El-Feky M, et al. Should I be worried? They usually disappear during the 3rd trimester 7. Entezami M, Albig M, Knoll U et-al. or 214-645-8300 Group Owners uphold the core values of the brand by reporting content that violates the community guidelines. The foci may be present in one or both ventricles. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Significance of an echogenic intracardiac focus in fetuses at high and low risk for aneuploidy", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Echogenic_intracardiac_focus&oldid=1069740505, Mother's age at the expected date of delivery. 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. Sometimes, one or more small bright spots are seen in one of the babys heart chambers, most frequently in the ventricles, or pumping chambers. The most common location is the left ventricle which now you know where its located. They may be more common in the Asian population 5. An official website of the United States government. The site is secure. 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. During a 10-month period, all women with singleton gestations who underwent second-trimester genetic amniocentesis for non-imaging indications were evaluated prospectively by prenatal sonography. 2004;23 (7): 895-8. Echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a relatively common sonographic observation that may be present on an antenatal ultrasound scan. Become a Gold Supporter and see no third-party ads. Biventricular EIFs are considered to be a higher risk for aneuploidy. Why EIF is seen in some babies and not others is unknown. However, in any pregnancy, women are offered optional prenatal tests that can help find specific kinds of birth defects, including Down syndrome. An echogenic intracardiac focus (EICF) is a small white spot that may be seen on your baby's heart during one of your routine ultrasounds. 2022 Mar;65(2):145-155. doi: 10.5468/ogs.21216. New Patient Appointment, Appointment 2017 Feb;56(1):16-22. doi: 10.1016/j.tjog.2016.11.002. The OB said the standard of care is to then proceed to a level 2 ultra sound. 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. This is what they told me. One of our twins had it. 8. AJR Am J Roentgenol. Usually, when an echogenic genic focus is seen on ultrasound; its not a big deal. Please select a reason for escalating this post to the WTE moderators: Connect with our community members by starting a discussion. An echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a small spot (sometimes two spots) in the fetal heart that appear to be as white as bone during an ultrasound examination. However, in certain situations and with high-risk mothers; it can be a problem. Weve already said that its seen in more than 20 percent of babies. Choroid plexus cysts on their own are not harmful. "An EIF is a bright spot in one of the chambers of the . Group Black's collective includes Essence, The Shade Room and Naturally Curly. So we had our anatomy scan today and everything was normal but an Echogenic intracardiac focus showed on the babies heart which I guess can be a sign of Down syndrome. Conclusion:

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