What is echogenic foci in fetal heart?

What are echogenic intracardiac foci (EIF)? 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 is isolated echogenic focus?

An echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a relatively common finding, even in otherwise normal fetuses. It is not a structural abnormality, but rather represents calcified deposits in the fetal heart that appear as bright spots on prenatal ultrasound. When seen in isolation, with no other fetal abnormalities.

What causes echogenic foci in fetal?

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.

What does echogenic foci mean on ultrasound?

Punctate echogenic foci of <1 mm are commonly seen by ultrasound (US) in thyroid nodules. These are often termed “microcalcifications” and are relevant because their presence within a nodule is one of several US features known to increase the likelihood of malignancy in both the pediatric and adult populations.

Will echogenic focus go away?

Will the EIF go away? Most EIF seen in the middle of the pregnancy will not go away before delivery. Since they do not cause problems for the baby, there is no special concern if they are still visible at a later time. For this reason, no ultrasound follow-up is needed to watch for changes in the EIF.

What is the meaning of echogenic cardiac focus?

Echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a small bright spot seen in the baby’s heart on an ultrasound exam. This is thought to represent mineralization, or small deposits of calcium, in the muscle of the heart. EIFs are found in about 3–5% of normal pregnancies and cause no health problems.

What is echogenic cardiac focus?

Echogenic Cardiac Focus. An echogenic cardiac focus (ECF, also known as echogenic chordae) refers to a bright spot seen in the fetal heart by ultrasound.

How serious is an echogenic focus found in heart?

An echogenic intracardiac focus is linked to a suspected cardiac malformation or may lead to a congenital heart defect at birth. However, the most worrisome effect that it may have is that it signals the presence of Down’s syndrome .

What is fetal cardiac ultrasound?

Also known as fetal heart ultrasound or fetal echo, it is used to view your unborn baby s heart, assess fetal heart circulation, flow of blood in the various chambers of heart and fetal heartbeat. Among the various types of ultrasound during pregnancy, the fetal ultrasound done during the first trimester is to confirm the pregnancy and its course.