| MedFriendlyTM |
|
 TM
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
|
|
WHAT ARE ECHOGENIC CARDIAC FOCI?
Echogenic cardiac foci refer to a high number of echoes inside an area (see next section) of an unborn child’s heart. The high number of echoes shows up as bright spots (that resemble a small white pea or pearl) in the heart on an echocardiography. An echocardiography is an imaging technique that uses types of sound waves to produce pictures of the heart. The word “foci” in “echogenic cardiac foci” refers to more than one area in the heart where there are abnormally high numbers of echoes. The word “focus” in “echogenic cardiac focus” refers to a single area in the heart where there are abnormally high numbers of echoes
WHERE ARE ECHOGENIC CARDIAC FOCI LOCATED?
Most echogenic cardiac foci are located in an area of the heart known as the left ventricle. The left ventricle is an opening in the heart that pumps out blood with a high level of oxygen to the body. However, echogenic cardiac foci can also be found in the right ventricle. The right ventricle is an opening in the heart that pumps out blood with the low level of oxygen to the lungs. Below is a picture of an echogenic focus in the left ventricle of the heart. It is the small white spot in the black opening (left ventricle).
ARE ECHOGENIC CARDIAC FOCI UNUSUAL OR ABNORMAL?
No. Echogenic cardiac foci are not an unusual or abnormal finding in an echocardiography of the heart. In fact, up to 7.4% of unborn children have echogenic cardiac foci when the mother is in the second trimester (months 3 to 6). The vast majority of children with echogenic cardiac foci are born normal. This is especially the case for the children of mothers who are under 35 years of age. Only rarely are echogenic cardiac foci associated with birth defects.
It has been suggested that the presence of echogenic cardiac foci is associated with a greater risk of the child having Down syndrome. Down's syndrome is an abnormality that is present from birth that results in mental impairments and a characteristic physical appearance (small facial features, large tongue that sticks out, a flat back area of the head, and hands that are short and broad).
There is conflicting evidence, however, as to whether echogenic foci in the heart lead to an increased risk for Down syndrome. That is, some studies have found that there is no increased risk whereas others have found that unborn children with echogenic cardiac foci are four times more likely to have Down syndrome. Many studies suggest that unborn children with echogenic cardiac foci have about a 1% chance of having Down syndrome.
WHAT CAUSES ECHOGENIC CARDIAC?
The formation of calcium or other minerals in the ventricles is what is thought to be the cause of the increased echoing that leads to echogenic cardiac foci. Calcium is a natural element that is very important in bone formation. As evidence of this, a study of the heart tissue of unborn children with Down syndrome found a significantly increased calcification (formation of calcium) in the papillary muscle of the heart. The papillary muscle of the heart is a rounded or cone-shaped type of muscle found in the ventricles of the heart.
DO ECHOGENIC CARDIAC FOCI GO AWAY?
Yes. Many of the cases of echogenic cardiac foci go away by themselves by the time the child is born. In more than half of the cases, echogenic cardiac foci go away by age 5.
WHAT SHOULD PARENTS DO IF THE UNBORN CHILD HAS ECHOGENIC CARDIAC FOCI?
|
If the only finding is echogenic cardiac foci, doctors usually will not do additional testing unless there are other abnormalities present and/or additional reasons to be concerned about the structure and functioning of the heart. Doctors usually recommend that the mother have more detailed ultrasound
testing done to see if there are any additional signs that the child has Down syndrome. Ultrasound testing uses certain types of sound waves to produce images of the body (in this case, the unborn child).
Amniocentesis is usually not recommended if echogenic cardiac foci are the only finding. Amniocentesis is a procedure in which a small amount of fluid (known as amniotic fluid) is withdrawn from the sac that surrounds the unborn child in the mother’s uterus. This fluid can then be tested to detect abnormalities in the unborn child. The uterus is a hollow organ in a female's body where the egg is implanted and the baby develops. Doctors may recommend amniocentesis, however, if the mother is 35 years or older, if there are additional abnormal results on the echocardiography, or if there are abnormal blood test results. |
HOW LONG HAVE DOCTORS KNOWN ABOUT ECHOGENIC CARDIAC FOCI?
Echogenic cardiac foci were first described in the mid-1980s.
WHAT ELSE ARE ECHOGENIC CARDIAC FOCI KNOWN AS?
Echogenic cardiac foci are also known as cardiac echogenic foci, intracardiac echogenic foci, and echogenic intracardiac foci.
WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM, ECHOGENIC CARDIAC FOCI?
Echogenic cardiac foci comes from the Greek word "echo" meaning "sound," the Greek word “genos” meaning “birth,” the Greek word "ikos" meaning "pertaining to," the Greek word "kardia" meaning "heart," and the Latin word “focus” meaning “hearth.” Put the words together and you have "pertaining to (the) birth (of) sound (in the) heart hearth."
|
Back to main page
|
|