What to Expect supports Group Black and its mission to increase greater diversity in media voices and media ownership. I had mine done this week and was told the same.. had an appointment with a genetic counselor because my head was going 100 different directions. It is usually the site of a small calcium . Other factors are discussed in counseling include: The best available evidence suggests that an isolated echogenic intracardiac focus in the fetus of an otherwise low risk woman does not confer an increased risk of fetal aneuploidy. Should I be worried? Achiron R, Lipitz S, Gabbay U, Yagel S. Prenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis of fetal heart echogenic foci: no correlation with Down syndrome. Most fetuses with these findings will, however, not have chromosomal abnormalities, especially when these findings are isolated. Manning JE, Ragavendra N, Sayre J, Laifer-Narin SL, Melany ML, Grant EG, Crandall BF. The exam looks at the four chambers of the fetal heart; the right atrium, left atrium, right ventricle, and left ventricle. For others, I dont say anything at all. Your odds are not increased of having a baby with downs with just an echogenic focus. Just freaking out a little and want to know. It is NOT an abnormality and is NOT associated with heart defects. Radiology. The dr. Echogenic intracardiac focus and choroid plexus cysts are common findings at the midtrimester ultrasound. It needs to be differentiated from normal papillary muscle which is not as bright as bone and a moderator band which is situated at the ventricular apex. in high-risk pregnancies,there is an increased incidence of aneuploidic anomalies (e.g. Please select a reason for escalating this post to the WTE moderators: Connect with our community members by starting a discussion. Should I be worried? Management options for echogenic intracardiac focus and choroid plexus I am hoping everything goes well and that there really is no need for concern. doi: 10.1055/a-1118-3974. The symptoms on the ultrasound are small head circumference (measuring 8th percentile), echogenic intracardiac focus and two very small benign echogenic foci on the liver. 2000;216 (2): 450-6. This is commonly referred to as an EIF (echogenic intracardiac focus) or echogenic foci (plural). Wax JR, Cartin A, Pinette MG et-al. Your physician might order an amniocentesis, which is a procedure to take some amniotic fluid (the fluid that the baby floats in) and do karyotyping (chromosome analysis). Echogenic Intracardiac Focus: A bright white dot in the fetal heart An echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a bright white spot in the fetal heart that looks like a tiny golf ball. An echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a relatively common finding, even in otherwise normal fetuses. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. You see, in medicine, we use a sense of direction that is based on the patient. Choroid plexus cysts on their own are not harmful. The views expressed in community are solely the opinions of participants, and do not reflect those of What to Expect. 2005;192 (6): 2021-6. My husband and I just went to our anatomy scan. Again, if its an isolated finding, we dont worry about it. Echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) April 11, 2023 | by jrglovexox. 203, 2nd floor, 71 Raintree, 2nd lane, Hindu colony. At the time the article was last revised Jeremy Jones had no recorded disclosures. Echogenic Focus (EIF): Definition, Causes, Treatment - Verywell Family This is thought to represent mineralization, or small deposits of calcium, in the muscle of the heart. FOIA Most EIF seen in the middle of the pregnancy will not go away before delivery. Four-chamber view of the heart showing a single echogenic intracardiac focus on left side. If you ask me whats my favorite book to recommend to pregnant women? EIFs are found in about 3-5% of normal pregnancies and cause no health problems. What do echogenic foci mean on ultrasound? So at my 20 week scan on Monday they found an EIF. That means that 99/100 babies with this finding will not have Down syndrome. Bright spot seen in heart during evaluation of fetus. Though typically harmless, the defect also carries a slightly higher risk for chromosomal conditions such asDown syndrome. Echogenic intracardiac focus: a sonographic sign for fetal Down These terms can sound scary. It is associated with a higher risk of Down syndrome but in most cases, its just a benign finding. Echogenic Intracardiac Focus - Should I get the level 2 Ultra - Reddit Sujyot heart clinic In isolation it does not signify any heart defect. 2022 Mar;65(2):145-155. doi: 10.5468/ogs.21216. No further exploration is needed and regular checkups should be scheduled normally. This bright spot, which is usually seen in the ventricle of the heart, is referred to as an echogenic intracardiac focus. EIF appear to be caused by deposits of calcium in the muscles or tendons of the heart. He also said that the echogenic focus will go away either before or after birth. EIFs are found in about 35% of normal pregnancies and cause no health problems. I had one with my last baby. Echogenic intracardiac focus was originally described as a normal variant and has been demonstrated to be micro-calcifications within the papillary muscle. EIF is more frequently found in babies whose mothers have Asian ancestry. In association with some other anomaly, doctor may ask for genetic evaluation. I couldn't find many videos about EIF findings and I thought others might be looking for one to help ease their mind. I didnt get the genetic testing last time either so I was a little worried. No Down Syndrome. I just had my anatomy scan done yesterday and my doctor called me this morning to tell me that EIF showed up - and she is recommending me to Genetics Testing for further testing to be done. When an echogenic intracardiac focus is identified in an otherwise normal second trimester fetus, a normal cell-free DNA test can be very reassuring and obviate the need for invasive testing. Shipp TD, Bromley B, Lieberman E et-al. Skip to Page Content, Refine your search: The person doing the ultrasound, called the ultrasound technician or sonographer . Having had one child with down syndrome before. It shows up as a bright spot on the heart in imaging, and it's thought to be a microcalcification on the heart muscle. What is an Echogenic Intracardiac Focus? Note that once you confirm, this action cannot be undone. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the How proactive physical therapy can improve pregnancy and postpartum care, Pediatrics; I dont have any advice but I had my anatomy scan today and they want to check him for coarctation of the aorta. Please whitelist our site to get all the best deals and offers from our partners. An intracardiac echogenic focus (ICEF) . A few days later I get a call from my OB saying that baby is growing appropriate and everything looked great BUT there was a white spot found in his heart called Echogenic Intracardiac Focus. He does have a speech delay but I dont think there is any correlation. Bright spot seen in heart during evaluation of fetus. 6. My son had an EIF at 18 weeks and he did not have Down syndrome. Echogenic intracardiac focus - July 2021 Babies - What to Expect 2005-2023Everyday Health, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. Sometimes; however, when a mineral such as calcium aggregates together. A Group Leader is a What to Expect community member who has been selected by our staff to help maintain a positive, supportive tone within a group. The published risks of Down syndrome among fetuses with echogenic cardiac foci have varied from no increased risk up to a four-fold increase in the age-related risk. If the pregnant woman has no other risk factors and the ultrasound shows no other signs of abnormal findings that suggest a genetic malformation, then no. Tools Echogenic intracardiac focus ( EIF) is a small bright spot seen in the baby's heart on an ultrasound exam. Even though when the doctor is facing a patient, the heart of that patient is located on the right side from the doctors perspective. My baby has this thing, and a level 2 ultra sound won't be able to tell me if she actually has downs or another chromosomal disorder. Dec 1, 2021 at 3:42 PM. The first figure below shows how a normal heart looks on an ultrasound. Glad everything turned out well-hopefully I can say the same soon! It is not a defect or a disease. They are thought to be present in ~4-5% of karyotypically normal fetuses. Sometimes, during these checkups, the doctor will find a bright spot in the fetuss heart. Publications & Guidelines | SMFM.org - The Society for Maternal-Fetal The answer is in your first anatomy lecture below. All Rights Reserved, We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. In fact, up to 20% or 1 in 5 babies are found to have an echogenic focus in the second or third trimester of the pregnancy. J Ultrasound Med. Poorly Controlled seizure unusual presentation of long QT sydrome. EIF occurs in as many as 5 percent of all pregnancies. An EIF is one clue which can contribute to the chances of a chromosome problem existing. J Ultrasound Med. Gynecol. government site. Does anyone know why they recommend this? During pregnancy; however, we have to be careful with what machine we use. The 18-23 week scan. But echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is almost never something to worry about. 3. At the end of this evaluation, if a SUA is the only red flag, theres almost never cause for concern for the babys health. think twice before sharing personal details, foster a friendly and supportive environment, remove fake accounts, spam and misinformation, delete posts that violate our community guidelines, reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts. So this really is just causing me a lot of stress. "An EIF is a bright spot in one of the chambers of the . However, if other risk factors are present. Group Black's collective includes Essence, The Shade Room and Naturally Curly. T his common ultrasound finding is seen in about 1 out of every 20 or 30 pregnancies (~3-5%). The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 8 found an isolated echogenic focus to be 8% sensitive in . Amniocentesis is a diagnostic procedure available until about 22 weeks of pregnancy for prenatal diagnosis of chromosome abnormalities. Please select a reason for escalating this post to the WTE moderators: Connect with our community members by starting a discussion. Hello everyone I had my anatomy scan today, and all looked well except they said baby seemed to have a echogenic intracardiac focus in the left ventricle. The DR. told me that just having one doesnt really mean much need for concern but if there were many they would do a sooner follow up. If there are no problems or chromosome abnormalities, EIFs are considered normal changes, or variants. or Call214-645-8300. Id immediately answer: What to Expect When Youre Expecting by Heidi Murkoff. Went to my anatomy scan today. So our first question when we detect a bright spot is about the parents ethnic backgrounds. Hi coming from the February group! I explain what it means and why they shouldnt worry. BUT! I couldn't find many videos about EIF findings and I thought others might be looking for one to help ease their mind. My husband and I are both doctors and own our separate private offices . I get that they get a 'more detailed look' but really what is there to see? We are still awaiting the full genetic karyotyping but the specialist didnt anticipate it showing anything serious. Usually, when an echogenic genic focus is seen on ultrasound; its not a big deal. J Ultrasound Med. The cause of EIF is unknown, but the condition is generally harmless. Significance of fetal intracardiac echogenic foci in relation to trisomy 21: a prospective sonographic study of high-risk pregnant women. The .gov means its official. Without the presence of other markers or abnormal screening results, I . We also use content and scripts from third parties that may use tracking technologies. Helping you understand scary (but often harmless) pregnancy ultrasound The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value for using the presence of an echogenic intracardiac focus to identify a fetus with Down syndrome was 18.2, 95.3, and 6.1%, respectively. I have to go back in 3. Intracardiac echogenic foci are very frequent findings during routine fetal ultrasound examination and sometimes a reason for referral of patients for fetal echocardiography. View restrictions. Bromley B, Lieberman E, Shipp TD, Richardson M, Benacerraf BR. This procedure is done via the visual guidance of an ultrasound. Bright spot seen in heart during evaluation of fetus. A small amount of amniotic fluid, which contains some fetal cells, is removed and tested. Group Leaders arent expected to spend any additional time in the community, and are not held to a set schedule. or 214-645-8300 Bright Spot Echogenic Focus And Down Syndrome | babyMed.com Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited. A Group Owner is a member that has initiated the creation of a group to connect with other members to share their journey through the same pregnancy & baby stages. Bookshelf Keep me posted on how everything turns out! Hello all,I am currently awaiting blood results for CMV. EIF prenatal ultrasound findings The OB said the standard of care is to then proceed to a level 2 ultra sound. But echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is almost never something to worry about. Everything you need to know about Echogenic Intracardiac Focus Ultrasound Diagnosis of Fetal Anomalies. Expanded video and phoneconsultation appointments are also available through theMy Health Connectionpatient portal. 4. 1998;170 (4): 1083-4. A little worried of course but hoping baby will be healthy. In isolation, it is not a risk factor for chromosomal anomaly. The frequency of the detection of fetal echogenic intracardiac foci with respect to maternal race. Well always give you an honest answer. I am working with the doctor to know more but until I meet with them or nurses, I need some motherly advice. This is a common finding on ultrasounds, seen in about 3 percent to 5 percent of pregnancies. Epidemiology They are thought to be present in ~4-5% of karyotypically normal fetuses. University of Colorado has also implemented increased restrictions for visitors. I also read it could be a marker for Down syndrome. 2021 Mar 26;12:626044. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2021.626044. It will not permanently affect your baby's heart. Hello everyone I had my anatomy scan today, and all looked well except they said baby seemed to have a echogenic intracardiac focus in the left ventricle. They said it could be a marker for Down syndrome, but often times its not and it resolves on its own. It shows up as a bright spot on the heart in imaging, and it's thought to be a microcalcification on the heart muscle. A finding of a focus of increased echogenicity upon prenatal ultrasound examination of the fetus. If it is difficult to tell if the EIF is as bright as bone, the gain in the image can be decreased to see which structure disappears first. Echogenic Intracardiac Focus-Anatomy Scan ( EIF ) Hey mamas!! What is a dobutamine stress echocardiogram? Sometimes, one or more small bright spots are seen in one of the babys heart chambers, most frequently in the ventricles, or pumping chambers. I did go ahead and get the NIPT testing done, and everything came back low risk today . Keep us posted on how the genetic karyotyping turns out! Skip to Site Navigation MeSH Isolated EIF and negative NIPT - Echogenic Intracardiac Focus | Forums Group Owners uphold the core values of the brand by reporting content that violates the community guidelines. Most commonly found in the left ventricle of the developing heart . But once we have a little more information about your background and risk for congenital problems in the fetus, they rarely are cause for concern. As weve said earlier, most cases of echogenic intracardiac findings are seen in the second trimester. 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). 8600 Rockville Pike An echogenic intracardiac focus (or EIF) is a small bright spot seen on a developing babys heart during an ultrasound. Oct 1, 2017 at 8:01 PM. Radiology. The good news is that most of these cases disappear by the second half of the third trimester and have no consequences on the babys health and well-being. It is an "extremely wimpy" indicator of downsas in most babies who have an echogenic focus do not have downs, and most kids with downs do . Abstract. They may be more common in the Asian population 5 . Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Meta-Analysis of Second-Trimester Markers for Trisomy 21, January 2013. I had this with my now two year old and he turned out fine no Down syndrome. We do as much as we can to make sure you worry as little as possible, but if you do run across a term that concerns you, please ask. Assured me my baby is developing just fine and that nothing is wrong with her heart. I asked her if the heart was okay. Extrapolating to a lower risk population, the positive predictive value of an echogenic intracardiac focus for detecting Down syndrome in patients at an age-based risk of one in 250, one in 500, and one in 1000 was calculated to be 1.53, 0.77, and 0.39% respectively. We might do extra ultrasounds in the third trimester just to check on the babys growth, but nothing else needs to be done there are no long-term complications. They may be more common in the Asian population 5. The same logic applies here; the heart is a muscle. Your doctor will probably refer you to a maternal-fetal medicine doctor for advanced imaging of the findings, just to be safe. How important is a cardiac echogenic focus in a routine fetal examination? Thieme. OB and genetic counselor let me know that it is something they have to mention but that this appears in 1 in 5 pregnancy anatomy scans with babies being okay. I ended up getting a level 2 ultrasound (for something else- my second baby was born with a birth defect and it could happen again), but they checked on the marker on the heart and the specialist said her daughter had one as well and it was nothing. Prior, we had a negative NIPT and a good nuchal screen avg 1.63mm and normal. Group Owners uphold the core values of the brand by reporting content that violates the community guidelines. thank you! Echogenic bowel, which means the bowel area appears brighter than normal Choroid plexus cysts (CPC), a fluid-filled space in the brain which appears as a cyst and is not considered a brain abnormality, which is more commonly associated with trisomy 18 Renal pyelectasis, which means the main area of a kidney is enlarged (calcium deposit) They said it was minor and that this can appear on any fetus whether or not the baby has downs. Doctors involve in this clinics having vast experience in this field. Well also check the mothers risk for chromosomal abnormalities through blood tests or other screenings. She mentioned a blood test that can determine (98%) chance that the baby has DS. If you shoot X-ray beams at the mothers uterus, the fetus will be vulnerable and the consequences are rather dire; ranging from simple harmless DNA mutations to complete malformations of the newborn. 7. Echogenic focus in fetal heart to worry or not to worry AJR Am J Roentgenol. EIF has no impact on heart function before or after birth and almost never requires follow-up testing.If a patient has already had an amniocentesis orchorionic villus sampling (CVS), or even a cell-free fetal DNA screen, then all of these findings are even less important. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sujyot Heart Clinic have been providing different services for cardiography and Doppler related services. Has anyone gave birth to healthy babies t During our 13 week ultrasound the doctor detected a white spot or EIF (Echogenic Intracardiac Focus) in our baby's heart. Nevertheless, you should consult your primary care physician or Ob/Gyn doctor when you have any doubts or multiple risk factors of Trisomy 21 so you and your doctor can discuss the next best course of action. They are typically seen as a small bright echoic focus within the fetal heart on a four chamber view (often as bright as bone). The foci may be present in one or both ventricles. PDF Echogenic Intracardiac Focus (EIF) - Kaiser Permanente Maternal risk factors like advance age/ family history / drugs etc, In presence of above risk factors, further evaluation is warranted, Look like hyperechoic tissue involving larger part of LV myocardium, and papillary muscle, May be associated with HLHS, aortic stenosis or isolated findings. Wrede E, Knippel AJ, Verde PE, Hammer R, Kozlowski P. Ultrasound Int Open. The results indicate EIF. EIF occurs in as many as5 percent of all pregnancies. Of course, this isnt an exact number. According to the MFM doc I saw, it is used as a marker for Down syndrome but only if a number of other signs are also noticed (small size, missing nasal bone, etc). Look up EIF on this apptons of people with the same and the absolute majority have had zero issues and healthy babies. In isolation it does not signify any heart defect. Yes, had this with my 2 year old son at every ultrasound. Its a classic bestseller book with over 18 million copies sold. Just wanted to send you love and positivity! "Some ultrasound findings, like an echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) are frequently detected on ultrasound," Dr. Chao says. Most importantly, advanced maternal age during the pregnancy. Since they do not cause problems for the baby, additional ultrasounds to follow-up on the EIF are not needed. EIFs are found in about 3-5% of normal pregnancies and do not cause any health problems. Chromosomal microarray analysis for the detection of chromosome abnormalities in fetuses with echogenic intracardiac focus in women without high-risk factors. Some researchers think single umbilical artery (SUA) might be associated with slightly smaller babies or delivering a few days early. Ko HS, Kwak DW, Oh SY, Choi SK, Hong JS, Hwang HS, Park HS, Seol HJ, Kim MY, Kim SJ, Park JS. Weve already said that its seen in more than 20 percent of babies. Lets understand what is echogenic focus in heart and which cardiac defects one should be careful about. It most frequently involves left ventricle but can be seen in right ventricle and can be multiple. Clinical significance of soft markers in second trimester ultrasonography for pregnant Korean women: a multicenter study and literature review. With just an echogenic focus, your odds of down syndrome do not change at all. This is what they told me. 203, 2nd floor, 71 Raintree, 2nd lane, Hindu colony, Near Swaminarayan temple For most women, I mention that the finding will appear on the final ultrasound report since patients can see all of their results in our electronic medical record. Echogenic intracardiac focus Implications - News-Medical.net December 2013. The most common location is the left ventricle which now you know where its located. They did an anatomy scan and found Echogenic intracardiac foci in multiple places, one of the kidneys had a dilated renal pelvis and the baby was missing the middle bone on both pinky fingers. If we keep this up, youll graduate from medical school in a week! 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). [ 46] The foci must be visible. My NIPT blood work and overall baby girls body, face, spine and all is normal appearance. He is perfectly fine and so is his heart. SMFM considers an EIF a "soft marker" which is a . December 2013. Should I be worried about EIF on ultrasound? Echogenic focus in fetal heart to worry or not to worry, Suspect Critical Congenital Heart Defects in nursery and NICU. It is so common in babies with Asian ethnicity that it cant even be used as a marker. She also told us that in Europe they don't even report it since it's benign if not accompanies with any other concern. If the mother has screened positive for higher risk of the chromosome abnormality trisomy 18 in pregnancy, we would talk about additional testing. Although the EIF doesnt cause problems for the baby, some studies have suggested there could be a slightly increased risk for Down syndrome when this ultrasound finding is present. 14. or 817-882-2400, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd. Rev Port Cardiol. Echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) Has anyone ever heard of Echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF)? You need to ask your doctor who probably has already discussed the significance with the radiologist. The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff. Hope everything turns out okay! It shows up as a bright spot on the heart in imaging, and it's thought to be a microcalcification on the heart muscle. She also mentioned that my prenatal tests came out normal so it should be fine. An EIF is not a birth defect, and does not cause any long term health problems for the baby.