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Hemodynamics in fetal arrhythmia.

Sven-Erik SonessonGanesh Acharya
Published in: Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica (2015)
Fetal arrhythmias are among the few conditions that can be managed in utero. However, accurate diagnosis is essential for appropriate management. Ultrasound-based imaging methods can be used to study fetal heart structure and function noninvasively and help to understand fetal cardiovascular pathophysiology, and they remain the mainstay of evaluating fetuses with arrhythmias in clinical settings. Hemodynamic evaluation using Doppler echocardiography allows the elucidation of the electrophysiological mechanism and helps to make an accurate diagnosis. It can also be used as a tool to understand fetal cardiac pathophysiology, for assessing fetal condition and monitoring the effect of antiarrhythmic treatment. This narrative review describes Doppler techniques that are useful for evaluating fetal cardiac rhythms to refine diagnosis and provides an overview of hemodynamic changes observed in different types of fetal arrhythmia.
Keyphrases
  • left ventricular
  • high resolution
  • computed tomography
  • magnetic resonance imaging
  • congenital heart disease
  • fluorescence imaging
  • contrast enhanced ultrasound