Ultrasound shows strong echoes in the fetal heart. What’s going on?

Currently, four-dimensional ultrasound is not usually used for cardiac examination, and two-dimensional ultrasound can clearly show the structure of the fetal heart. Intracardiac echogenic foci are relatively common, occurring in about 5% of normal fetuses, and in about 95% of cases they disappear in late pregnancy. Intracardiac strong echogenic foci are usually a microcalcification on the papillary muscles or tendon cords, and usually have no effect on the function as well as the structure of the fetal heart. Some studies suggest that intracardiac strong echogenic foci may be associated with Down syndrome, but may be accompanied by other soft markers, such as abnormal serologic screening of the mother, abnormal NT tests, or other structural abnormalities. When this is the case, the pregnant woman is usually advised to undergo prenatal counseling, and amniocentesis is required if necessary. However, in a low-risk population, the presentation of only a single ventricular strong echogenic focus is of no particular significance.