Fetal cardiac tumor: Prenatal diagnosis and postnatal outcome

Nam, Ka Hyun; Hwang, Han Sung; Kwak, Dong Wook; Park, Yong Won; Kim, Young Han

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to evaluate the ultrasonographic appearance of suspected fetal cardiac tumor and their evolution until delivery and in the postnatal period, and to document the associated problems including tuberous sclerosis.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all cases born in Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Korea, between September 1996 and August 2006, and diagnosed as fetal cardiac tumor prenatally.
RESULTS
10 cases were found in all medical records. The mean age of the mothers on delivery was 30.2+/-2.4 and the mean gestational age on diagnosis was 30.6+/-5.4 weeks. The cardiac tumors were single in five cases and multiple in the other five cases. The size ranged from 7 to 34mm. Most of the tumors were located in right ventricle (RV, n=9), left ventricle (LV, n=6), but they also located in interventricular septum (IVS, n=4), right atrium (RA, n=1). In one case, fetal arrhythmia was found, which was normalized in two days after birth, and in another case, mild intracardiac flow obstruction was noted. The duration of postnatal follow-up ranged from 2 months to 36 months (mean, 18.9+/-13.1 months). In most cases the tumor masses decreased after birth (n=6), but had no change in utero (n=5). Three of them were diagnosed as tuberous sclerosis after birth, and none of them needed surgical intervention.
CONCLUSION
Fetal cardiac tumors and their effect on the fetal cardiac function could be well evaluated by two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography. The fetal cardiac tumors may have little effect on the fetal well being both prenatally and postnatally from the cardiovascular standpoint in most affected fetuses, but are important in the early diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis and in suggesting careful follow-up and management.