CLINICAL ARTICLE Chromosomal and cardiac anomalies in fetuses with intracardiac echogenic foci T.R.M. Gonc ¸alves a,b, * , M.M. Zamith a,b , C.G.V. Murta b , L.C. Bussamra a,b , M.R. Torloni a,b , A.F. Moron a,b a Fetal Medicine Unit of Hospital e Maternidade Santa Joana, Sa˜o Paulo, SP, Brazil b Fetal Medicine Unit, Sa˜o Paulo Federal University, Sa˜o Paulo, SP, Brazil Received 29 January 2006; received in revised form 4 June 2006; accepted 6 June 2006 Abstract Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of intracardiac echogenic foci (ICEF) and the association between ICEF and chromosomal and cardiac anomalies in Brazilian women. Methods: In a cross-sectional observational study, 373 of the 23,360 genetic sonograms performed at a private maternal—fetal medicine clinic over 5 years showed intracardiac echogenic foci (ICEF). These 373 sonograms were reviewed for chromosomal and cardiac anomalies and associations were analyzed using the v 2 test or the Fisher exact test. P b 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The prevalence of ICEF was 1.7%. Cardiac anomalies were detected in 10 sonograms (2.7%) and chromosomal anomalies in 14 (3.7%). There were cardiac defects in 6 (1.7%) of the 359 euploid fetuses with isolated ICEF. Of the 373 women who had fetuses with ICEF, 295 were younger than 35 years and 78 were 35 years or older. There were 6 fetuses (2.1%) with aneuploidy in the younger group and 8 (10.3%) in the older group. Conclusion: The prevalence of ICEF was 1.7%, and there was an association between cardiac and chromosomal anomalies. Women carrying fetuses with ICEF should be offered fetal echocardiography and karyotyping. D 2006 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Intracardiac echogenic foci (ICEF) are small areas of increased echogenicity located in the vicinity of the papillary muscles or chordae tendinae inside the fetal ventricles and moving synchronously with 0020-7292/$ - see front matter D 2006 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2006.06.020 * Corresponding author. Rua Maceio ´ 162, Vila Barcelona, Sa˜o Caetano do Sul, SP CEP 09551-030, Brazil. Tel.: +55 11 4224 6698; fax: +55 11 5572 4449. E-mail address: telmarmg@uol.com.br (T.R.M.Gonc¸alves). KEYWORDS Intracardiac echogenic focus; Fetal heart; Down syndrome; Karyotypic abnormality; Fetal aneuploidy; Ultrasound International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics (2006) 95, 132 — 137 www.elsevier.com/locate/ijgo