Full Description
Fetal echocardiography was initially used to detect structural anomalies, but has more recently also been proposed to assess fetal cardiac function. Functional echocardiography has been demonstrated to select high-risk populations and has been seen to have an effect on the outcome of several fetal conditions. Because of the small size and high heart rate and the restricted access away from the transducer, cardiovascular parameters should be validated but used with caution in the fetus. This special issue on fetal cardiac function is a collection of review and original articles showing several potential clinical and research applications of functional echocardiography in intrauterine growth restriction, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, congenital heart disease and aneuploides. The insights provided show that fetal cardiac function assessment is a promising tool that may soon be incorporated into clinical practice to diagnose, monitor or predict outcome in some fetal conditions. Therefore, this special issue on 'fetal cardiac function' provides valuable reading for clinicians and researchers in fetal medicine and cardiology who are interested in the fetal heart.
Contents
Review; Myocardial Motion and Deformation: What Does It Tell Us and How Does It Relate to Function: Bijnens, B.; Cikes, M.; Butakoff, C.; Sitges, M.; Crispi, F.; Mini-Review; Fetal Cardiac Function: M-Mode and 4D Spatio-temporal Image Correlation: Godfrey, M.E.; Messing, B.; Valsky, D.V.; Cohen, S.M.; Yagel, S.; Reviews; Evaluation of Conventional Doppler Fetal Cardiac Function Parameters: E/A Ratios, Outflow Tracts, and Myocardial Performance Index: Hernandez-Andrade, E.; Benavides-Serralde, J.A.; Cruz-Martinez, R.; Welsh, A.; Mancilla-Ramirez, J.; Assessment of Fetal Cardiac Function Using Tissue Doppler Techniques: Comas, M.; Crispi, F.; Assessment of Fetal Myocardial Deformation Using Speckle Tracking Techniques: Germanakis, I.; Gardiner, H.; Fetal Cardiac Function: Technical Considerations and Potential Research and Clinical Applications: Crispi, F.; Gratacos, E.; Original Papers: Techniques; Fetal Longitudinal Myocardial Function Assessment by Anatomic M-Mode: Germanakis, I.; Pepes, S.; Sifakis, S.; Gardiner, H.; Comparison of Doppler-Based and Three-Dimensional Methods for Fetal Cardiac Output Measurement: DeKoninck, P.; Steenhaut, P.; Van Mieghem, T.; Mhallem, M.; Richter, J.; Bernard, P.; De Catte, L.; Deprest, J.; Normal Reference Ranges from 11 to 41 Weeks' Gestation of Fetal Left Modified Myocardial Performance Index by Conventional Doppler with the Use of Stringent Criteria for Delimitation of the Time Periods: Cruz-Martinez, R.; Figueras, F.; Bennasar, M.; Garcia-Posadas, R.; Crispi, F.; Hernandez-Andrade, E.; Gratacos, E.; Development of Australian Reference Ranges for the Left Fetal Modified Myocardial Performance Index and the Influence of Caliper Location on Time Interval Measurement: Meriki, N.; Welsh, A.W.; Feasibility and Reproducibility of a Standard Protocol for 2D Speckle Tracking and Tissue Doppler-Based Strain and Strain Rate Analysis of the Fetal Heart: Crispi, F.; Sepulveda-Swatson, E.; Cruz-Lemini, M.; Rojas-Benavente, J.; Garcia-Posada, R.; Dominguez, J.M.; Sitges, M.; Bijnens, B.; Gratacos, E.; Comparison of PR Intervals Determined by Fetal Magnetocardiography and Pulsed Doppler Echocardiography: Kato, Y.; Takahashi-Igari, M.; Inaba, T.; Sumazaki, R.; Horigome, H.; Original Papers: Clinical Applications; Risk of Perinatal Death in Early-Onset Intrauterine Growth Restriction according to Gestational Age and Cardiovascular Doppler Indices: A Multicenter Study: Cruz-Lemini, M.; Crispi, F.; Van Mieghem, T.; Pedraza, D.; Cruz-Martinez, R.; Acosta-Rojas, R.; Figueras, F.; Parra-Cordero, M.; Deprest, J.; Gratacos, E.; Myocardial Strain Abnormalities in Fetal Congenital Heart Disease Assessed by Speckle Tracking Echocardiography: Germanakis, I.; Matsui, H.; Gardiner, H.M.; Speckle Tracking-Derived Myocardial Tissue Deformation Imaging in Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome: Differences in Strain and Strain Rate between Donor and Recipient Twins: Rychik, J.; Zeng, S.; Bebbington, M.; Szwast, A.; Quartermain, M.; Natarajan, S.; Johnson, M.; Tian, Z.; Is the Addition of the Ductus Venosus Useful when Screening for Aneuploidy and Congenital Heart Disease in Fetuses with Normal Nuchal Translucency: Prats, P.; Ferrer, Q.; Comas, C.; Rodriguez, I.; Author Index; Subject Index.
