"Some ultrasound findings, like an echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) are frequently detected on ultrasound," Dr. Chao says. The most commonly studied soft markers of aneuploidy include a thickened nuchal fold, long bones shortening, mild fetal pyelectasis, echogenic bowel, echogenic intracardiac focus, FMF angle > 90 degrees, pathologic velocity of Ductus venosus and choroid plexus cyst. Bright Spot Echogenic Focus And Down Syndrome | babyMed.com Group Owners uphold the core values of the brand by reporting content that violates the community guidelines. I was super stressed when I found this out and Im hoping I can give you some peace of mind! PDF Echogenic Intracardiac Focus (EIF) - Kaiser Permanente The first is a physical abnormality that, when seen by itself, almost never causes problems before or after delivery. I couldn't find many videos about EIF findings and I thought others might be looking for one to help ease their mind. To determine whether an echogenic intracardiac focus identified in the second-trimester fetus is related to an increased risk of Down syndrome. Epidemiology They are thought to be present in ~4-5% of karyotypically normal fetuses. My best friend was told this of her little guy at his anatomy scan and he's now 9 months and healthy as can be! Echogenic intracardiac focus is a marker for potential birth defects and chromosomal abnormalities such as trisomy 18 or trisomy 21 (down's syndrome). Please whitelist our site to get all the best deals and offers from our partners. I guess this is a soft marker for downs syndrome but since there is only this marker, everything else on the scan was perfect, and I'm low risk, its unlikely that this means my baby has downs. December 2013. This bright spot is due to a bit of calcium in one of the muscles that attaches to the heart valve. If the mother has screened positive for higher risk of the chromosome abnormality trisomy 18 in pregnancy, we would talk about additional testing. I'm already terrorized at the chance that this could mean something bad, but I'm for sure not going to do an amnio. 21 (4): 354-8. chronic prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS). Sometimes; however, when a mineral such as calcium aggregates together. Well always give you an honest answer. official website and that any information you provide is encrypted The views expressed in community are solely the opinions of participants, and do not reflect those of What to Expect. Patients who do not require an urgent visit will be rescheduled for a telehealth visit (see below). 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. This is thought to represent mineralization, or small deposits of calcium, in the muscle of the heart. If an EIF is the only notable finding on the ultrasound, it is considered an "isolated" finding and nothing to worry about. So, which chamber is the right or left one? You can selectively provide your consent below to allow such third party embeds. Out of all the cardiac chambers, the left ventricle is the most frequent in terms of location. How important is a cardiac echogenic focus in a routine fetal examination? Echogenic focus in fetal heart to worry or not to worry, Suspect Critical Congenital Heart Defects in nursery and NICU. 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. He does have a speech delay but I dont think there is any correlation. New Patient Appointment Winter TC, Anderson AM, Cheng EY, Komarniski CA, Souter VL, Uhrich SB, Nyberg DA. In isolation it does not signify any heart defect. No special treatment or tests are needed at delivery. This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice. It shows up as a bright spot on the heart in imaging, and it's thought to be a microcalcification on the heart muscle. I appreciate all of the info! Note that once you confirm, this action cannot be undone. Anderson N, Jyoti R. Relationship of isolated fetal intracardiac echogenic focus to trisomy 21 at the mid-trimester sonogram in women younger than 35 years. He also said that the echogenic focus will go away either before or after birth. An echogenic intracardiac focus can be seen in G. GraceAriel. 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. 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. I also did NIPT testing at 13 weeks and came back low risk for everything and so did my NT scan at 13 weeks. Echogenic intracardiac focus: a sonographic sign for fetal Down Now, lets get back to the main topic of this article: Like we said earlier, during pregnancy; the pregnant woman visits the doctors office multiple times for regular checkups. But echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is almost never something to worry about. {"url":"/signup-modal-props.json?lang=us"}, Weerakkody Y, Goel A, El-Feky M, et al. Though typically harmless, the defect also carries a slightly higher risk for chromosomal conditions such asDown syndrome. The early reports of sonographically detected intracardiac echogenic foci mainly concerned isolated echogenic spots in the fetal left ventricle 1-3.Subsequently, echogenic foci were detected in the right ventricle, both ventricles and even in the left atrium 4, 5.Since the original description in 1988 the significance of these echogenic foci has been controversial, with some authors . But echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is almost never something to worry about. Objective: To assess the incidence of echogenic intracardiac foci in a mixed population of fetuses at high and low risk for congenital heart defects, and to . EIF appear to be caused by deposits of calcium in the muscles or tendons of the heart. Skip to Page Content, Refine your search: However; other major cardiac defects can be mis-diagnosed as echogenic focus. The word cyst implies something that shouldnt be there, and a cyst that has formed in the brain really sounds scary. Your doctor will probably refer you to a maternal-fetal medicine doctor for advanced imaging of the findings, just to be safe. Its a classic bestseller book with over 18 million copies sold. It is not a structural abnormality and considered a normal variant representing calcified deposits in the muscle of the fetal heart that appear as bright spots on prenatal ultrasound. A spot thats not supposed to be there. 2000 Aug;216(2):450-6. doi: 10.1148/radiology.216.2.r00au32450. An isolated intracardiac echogenic focus as a marker for aneuploidy. Hope everything turns out okay! Although it can be associated with some genetic conditions such as Down syndrome, in most cases, its a fairly benign finding with no other implications. That is usually done between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy (during the second trimester). Soft markers detectable at the mid-trimester ultrasound BUT! Echogenic focus in fetal heart to worry or not to worry Entezami M, Albig M, Knoll U et-al. We strive to provide you with a high quality community experience. Radiology. It is NOT an abnormality and is NOT associated with heart defects. In short, medicine and physicians see things from the patients perspective. An EIF is one clue which can contribute to the chances of a chromosome problem existing. The OB said the standard of care is to then proceed to a level 2 ultra sound. You see, the fetus is undergoing a process called organogenesis (the formation of organs) which involves a lot of cellular divisions and DNA replication. Pathology But on average, these babies weigh 6.5 pounds and arrive after 38 weeks of pregnancy not very small or very early. 2020 Jan;99(5):e19014. Dont worry mama Im sure your baby will be fine . She also told us that in Europe they don't even report it since it's benign if not accompanies with any other concern. You already had the harmony test and got good results, so at this point you should just try to relaxand enjoy your healthy pregnancy! Midwife called with Anatomy results and they found a shadow where baby's heart is. Medicine (Baltimore). Isolated EIF and negative NIPT. 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. 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. Choroid plexus cysts on their own are not harmful. 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. Should I be concerned? thank you-Im trying to ignore it, but my anxiety is trying to get the best of me! Our baby was born February 24th perfectly healthy! doi: 10.1055/a-1118-3974. 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. An echogenic intracardiac focus (or EIF) is a small bright spot seen on a developing baby's heart during an ultrasound. The second and third findings are markers, which means theyre loosely associated with (but not causes of) chromosomal conditions such as trisomy 21, or Down syndrome. More in: EIFs themselves have no impact on health or heart function. Isolated Echogenic Cardiac Focus: Assessing Association with Trisomy 21 by Combining Results from a Prenatal Center with a Bayesian Meta-Analysis. Some doctors think that the bright spot is due to an area of the heart muscle where more calcium than average has collected. This muscle appears dim and dark on the ultrasound except for the valves and the septum. Use of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy. Isolated 'soft signs' of fetal choroid plexus cysts or echogenic intracardiac focus - consequences of their continued reporting. We recommend a third-trimester ultrasound examination to evaluate growth and consideration of weekly antenatal fetal surveillance beginning at 36 0/7 weeks of gestation (GRADE 1C); (12) for fetuses with isolated urinary tract dilation A1, we recommend an ultrasound examination at 32 weeks of gestation to determine if postnatal pediatric urology 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. 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. A finding of a focus of increased echogenicity upon prenatal ultrasound examination of the fetus. Generally the risks are low if there are no other risk factors. High chances of fetal demises when diagnosed in utero. intracardiac echogenic foci,karyotype analyses revealed trisomy 21in14(2%)fetuses.The sonographically identifiable intracardiac echo-genic focimeasured 1-2mm indiameter. Look up EIF on this apptons of people with the same and the absolute majority have had zero issues and healthy babies. Although most fetuses with this finding are normal, patients carrying fetuses with an echogenic intracardiac focus should be counseled about the increased risk of trisomy 21. It is so common in babies with Asian ethnicity that it cant even be used as a marker. Echogenic intracardiac focus. Echogenic Focus (EIF): Definition, Causes, Treatment - Verywell Family My question is why bother? Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Calcium is a natural mineral found in the body. [1] Types of chromosome problems that are occasionally seen include trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome) or trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). EIFs themselves have no impact on health or heart function. pregnancy, Next Article I had an amnio done same day and 48 hours later the FISH results were back and negative for all trisomies and triploidy. Echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) Has anyone ever heard of Echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF)? An EIF does not generally impact the overall health of the baby or the development of his or her heart. 2004;23 (7): 895-8. 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. We also have an echogenic focus, along with a couple other soft markers for downs. EIF occurs in as many as 5 percent of all pregnancies. The provider said it could be a soft marker for Down syndrome, or could turn out to be nothing to worry about at all. I couldn't find many videos about EIF findings and I thought others might be looking for one to help ease their mind. EIFs are found in about 3-5% of normal pregnancies and do not cause any health problems. Latest: 10 days ago | saradork 2 Echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a relatively common sonographic observation that may be present on an antenatal ultrasound scan. "An EIF is a bright spot in one of the chambers of the . One of our twins had it. It was only flagged for me because the baby showed 3 different spots. Please select a reason for escalating this post to the WTE moderators: Connect with our community members by starting a discussion. What is an Echogenic Intracardiac Focus? T his common ultrasound finding is seen in about 1 out of every 20 or 30 pregnancies (~3-5%). Glad everything turned out well-hopefully I can say the same soon! If you feel a message or content violates these standards and would like to request its removal please submit the following information and our moderating team will respond shortly. Echogenic intracardiac focus was originally described as a normal variant and has been demonstrated to be micro-calcifications within the papillary muscle. 2005;192 (6): 2021-6. 2022 Mar;65(2):145-155. doi: 10.5468/ogs.21216. Mumbai. "An EIF is a bright spot in one of the chambers of the . Anyone else experience this before ? In other simple words, an echogenic intracardiac focus is nothing but the deposit of calcium and other minerals inside the hearts myocardium (another fancy word for the hearts muscle). 1998 Feb;17(2):127-31. doi: 10.7863/jum.1998.17.2.127. 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 . However, in certain situations and with high-risk mothers; it can be a problem. Helping you understand scary (but often harmless) pregnancy 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. Echogenic intracardiac focus - July 2021 Babies - What to Expect Sometimes, one or more small bright spots are seen in the heart. This bright spot, which is usually seen in the ventricle of the heart, is referred to as an echogenic intracardiac focus. We got to see our precious little one and see the baby moving around! 2000;216 (2): 450-6. Similar to choroid plexus cysts, this marker might indicate a chromosomal condition if paired with other worries on the ultrasound or an increased risk for Down syndrome or trisomy 13 on a prenatal screen. In isolation it does not signify any heart defect. My NIPT blood work and overall baby girls body, face, spine and all is normal appearance. It is associated with a higher risk of Down syndrome but in most cases, it's just a benign finding. 203, 2nd floor, 71 Raintree, 2nd lane, Hindu colony. echogenic intracardiac focus - August 2022 Babies - What to Expect 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. 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. Bromley B, Lieberman E, Shipp TD, Richardson M, Benacerraf BR. Hello all,I am currently awaiting blood results for CMV. ElF is considered a normal variation in fetal development and has not been found to cause any long-term health problems or heart problems for the baby. PDF Echogenic Intracardiac Focus: A bright white dot in the fetal heart Areas of the body that have more calcium, such as bones, show up brighter on an ultrasound. They may be more common in the Asian population 5. 203, 2nd floor, 71 Raintree, 2nd lane, Hindu colony, Near Swaminarayan temple Dadar East . The results indicate EIF. That makes me feel more reassured. If the baby has normal chromosomes, there would be no associated problems to be concerned about. Keep me posted! The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the I did take the NIPT test today and praying I get good news by next week, my baby girl is fine and thats all they found in the ultrasound.. 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. Echogenic focus is common animals found in which doesn't interfere with normal cardiac activity . Echogenic intracardiac focus. I didnt have the early genetic testing done either, so really not sure what to expect now . 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. Cold symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath). Significance of fetal intracardiac echogenic foci in relation to trisomy 21: a prospective sonographic study of high-risk pregnant women. In general, it's suggested that women with this finding . EIF is considered a normal pregnancy variation, but prenatal screening tests may be desirable to test for any abnormalities. 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. "Some ultrasound findings, like an echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) are frequently detected on ultrasound," Dr. Chao says. 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. Several studies suggested a risk of about 1%. The dr. 2005-2023Everyday Health, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. 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). We can find multiple bright spots in the babys heart! It disappears by the time of birth or after birth. They may be more common in the Asian population 5 . People ask, Is it taking up space so normal brain tissue cant develop? Just wanted to say thank you again to everyone for the advice and positive thoughts-you all really helped ease my mind. She said it was nothing to worry about and its very common and should not pose any risk. The OB said the standard of care is to then proceed to a level 2 ultra sound. Just wanted to send you love and positivity! Keep us posted on how the genetic karyotyping turns out! 1st Pregnancy. The cause of EIF is unknown, but the condition is generally harmless. 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. After my dr told us it likely meant NOTHING, I just wanted the US's cos I liked to see my baby dance around. AJR Am J Roentgenol. Should I be worried? EIF is considered a normal pregnancy variation, but prenatal screening tests may be desirable to test for any abnormalities. Use of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy. in high-risk pregnancies,there is an increased incidence of aneuploidic anomalies (e.g. echogenic intracardiac focus The Bump Echogenic Intracardiac Foci EIF are described as discrete areas of echogenicity comparable to bone in the region of papillary muscle in either cardiac ventricle. Echogenic intracardiac focus in 2nd-trimester fetuses with trisomy 21: usefulness as a US marker. Also I dont know if it will be reassurance for you or not but the extremely reputable specialist we saw talked to us about what exactly causes the Echogenic intracardiac foci and said that its super common to have 1 show up, its just where dense tissue comes together and since the heart is a muscle its not rare. Most fetuses with these findings will, however, not have chromosomal abnormalities, especially when these findings are isolated. New Patient Appointment, Appointment Amniocentesis is very accurate; however, there is a risk of miscarriage which occur in 0.51% of women who have amniocentesis. We also have an echogenic focus, along with a couple other soft markers for downs.