Should I worry about echogenic focus?
But echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is almost never something to worry about. It shows up as a bright spot on the heart in imaging, and it’s thought to be a microcalcification on the heart muscle. EIF occurs in as many as 5 percent of all pregnancies.
What percentage of babies with EIF have Down syndrome?
The results showed existence of EIF in 3.8% of all fetuses. The prevalence of down syndrome among the population studied was 0.4% with all having EIF.
How common is echogenic cardiac focus?
If there is more than one bright spot, they are called echogenic foci. This common ultrasound finding is seen in about 1 out of every 20 or 30 pregnancies (~3-5%). An echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) does not affect health of the baby or how the baby’s heart works.
Does echogenic focus go away?
The echogenic focus may go away on its own or it may not, but it doesn’t affect a child’s cardiac function so there is no need for treatment or even follow-up testing to see if it is still there.
Is EIF a marker for Down syndrome?
An echogenic intracardial focus (EIF) is an ultrasound „soft marker“ for aneuploidy, most commonly for Down syndrome and trisomy 18. An EIFs are found in about 5% of all fetuses during second trimester sonography. An EIF seems like a small bright spot in the baby’s heart ventricle.
Is echogenic foci normal?
Abstract. Echogenic foci within the left ventricle of the heart have been found in a minority of fetuses and generally are believed to be a normal variant. The cause and exact location of these foci have remained speculative, however.
Is EIF a soft marker for Down syndrome?
Does an isolated EIF mean Down syndrome?
Two studies performed in low-risk patients demonstrated an isolated EIF in only one of 626 Down syndrome fetuses. Both studies concluded that isolated EIF was not a marker for Down syndrome in low-risk patients (21,839 total patients).
Is echogenic focus Normal?
Do all Down syndrome babies have EIF?
Results: Among the 1334 patients in the study group, 66 fetuses (4.9%) had an echogenic intracardiac focus. 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 soft marker for Down syndrome?
The most commonly studied soft markers of aneuploidy include a thickened nuchal fold, long bones shortening, mild fetal pyelectasis, echogenic bowel, echogenic intracardiac focus, FMF angle > 90 degrees, pathologic velocity of Ductus venosus and choroid plexus cyst.
What causes calcium deposit on baby’s heart?
The cause of an echogenic intracardiac focus is unknown. It is possible that calcium deposits in the muscle wall of the ventricles may cause these spots. Calcium is a natural mineral found in the body. Areas of the body that have more calcium, such as bones, show up brighter on an ultrasound.
Is echogenic focus of the heart safe during pregnancy?
Diagnosis and Further Testing An echogenic focus on its own poses no health risk to the fetus, and when the baby is born, there are no risks to their health or cardiac functioning as a result of an EIF. It is considered a variation of normal heart anatomy and is not associated with any short- or long-term health problems.
Is Echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) harmful to the baby?
An echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) does not affect health of the baby or how the baby’s heart works. This finding is generally considered a normal variation. Four chamber view of the fetal heart Echogenic focus What causes an EIF? No one knows for sure why this is seen in some babies and not others.
What are echogenic foci of the heart?
EIF are small, echogenic lesions seen (on sonography) inside the left or right ventricles of the fetal heart within the papillary muscles or chordae tendinae. These lesions are not attached to the wall of the ventricles. What are echogenic intracardiac foci (EIF)?
What is an echogenic focus on an ultrasound?
An echogenic focus, or echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF), is a bright spot on a fetus’s heart observed by ultrasound. Echogenic foci are common and usually harmless.