To evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of fetuses with atrial appendage aneurysm (AAA) diagnosed by fetal echocardiography. The fetal echocardiography records of 1956 fetuses were evaluated retrospectively. Nine pregnancies who had been diagnosed with fetal AAA prenatally and evaluated after delivery were enrolled in the study. Perinatal and obstetric outcomes were analyzed. The incidence of fetal AAA in our series was 0.46%. Seven fetuses (77.8%) had right AAA, 1 fetus had left AAA (11.1%) and 1 fetus (11.1%) had bilateral AAA. The average gestational age at the first observation and/or diagnosis and gestational age at delivery was 22.3 ± 1.9 weeks and 34.7 ± 4.9 weeks, respectively. Incidences of associated cardiac anomaly, pericardial effusion, and nonimmune hydrops fetalis (NIHF) were 44.4%, 22.2%, and 11.1%, respectively. There was no chromosomal abnormality detected in 4 pregnancies where karyotype analysis was performed. There were 2 neonatal (22.2%) and 1 fetal (11.1%) deaths in our study group. Detailed cardiac and structural ultrasonographic examination should be performed in pregnancies with fetal AAA.
Keywords: Atrial appendage aneurysm; Ectopia cordis; Fetal echocardiography; Perinatal outcome.
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.