Diagnostic Efficacy of Prenatal Color Doppler Ultrasonography in Patients with Congenital Cardiovascular Malformation

Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of prenatal color Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of congenital cardiovascular abnormalities in pregnant woman, and to analyze its potential risk factors. Methods: Prenatal color Doppler ultrasonography equipped with two-dimensional and three-dimensional examinations was utilized to detect the possible congenital cardiovascular malformations. If the fetus may suffer from cardiovascular abnormality via prenatal color Doppler ultrasonography, and the pregnant woman received induced labor surgery, the autopsy results could be taken as the standard of reference. And then, the diagnostic accuracy of prenatal color Doppler ultrasonography for cardiovascular abnormality was calculated. In addition, on the basis of the patients' medical records, the potential risk factors of congenital cardiovascular malformation were analyzed. Results: Among 1511 fetuses, 19 cases who might suffer from of congenital cardiovascular malformation were identified, by means of prenatal color Doppler ultrasonography. Specifically, the specific malformations included ventricular septal defect (N = 9), transposition of great arteries (N = 1), tetralogy of Fallot (N = 2), enlarged diameter of oval holes (greater than 6 mm, N = 3), left heart dysplasia syndrome (N = 2), complete endocardial hernia defect (N = 2). Maternal diseases, elderly parturient women, alcoholism, smoking, consanguinity, drug intake (ASA, captopril, valproic acid), caccine for rubella, exposure to radiation, and illicit drug use were the possible risk factors of congenital cardiovascular malformation. And, the number of births was not associated with congenital cardiovascular malformation. Conclusions: Color Doppler ultrasound combined with two-dimensional and three-dimensional screening for fetal congenital cardiovascular malformation is a relatively sensitive detection method, with the advantages of no wound, no radiation, high ratio of performance and cost, and easy accessibility. Color Doppler ultrasound is the preferred method of screening for fetal congenital cardiovascular abnormalities in clinical practice.