The Role of Collaboration in Prenatal Congenital Heart Disease Diagnosis

• Published in: Journal of ultrasound in medicine 2025-02, Vol.44 (2), p.323-333
• Main Authors: Anuwutnavin, Sanitra, Kuichanuan, Matinuch, Sompagdee, Nalat, Kanjanauthai, Supaluck, Soongswang, Jarupim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: accuracy; congenital heart disease; fetal echocardiography; maternal‐fetal medicine specialists; pediatric cardiologists; prenatal diagnosis
• ISSN: 0278-4297; 1550-9613
• DOI: 10.1002/jum.16606

Objective This study compared the accuracy of prenatal congenital heart disease (CHD) diagnosed by maternal‐fetal medicine specialists (MFMs) and pediatric cardiologists (PCs), using postnatal cardiac findings as the reference standard. Methods This retrospective analysis at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, involved 125 pregnancies with fetal CHD diagnosed by MFMs and evaluated by PCs later. Prenatal CHD diagnoses by either MFM or PC were compared with postnatal diagnoses obtained through echocardiography, cardiac surgery/catheterization, or autopsy. Diagnostic accuracy was classified as (A) correct diagnosis, (B) minor differences not impacting clinical management or outcomes, or (C) major differences affecting prognosis or treatment. Results Cardiac sonography by MFM achieved diagnostic accuracies of 73.6% (A), 16% (B), and 10.4% (C), while fetal echocardiography by PC resulted in accuracies of 72% (A), 20% (B), and 8% (C). No statistically significant differences were found between MFM and PC in each category (P = .375–.832). The MFMs' accuracy was highest for tetralogy of Fallot (94.4%; 95% CI, 72.7–99.9%) and lowest for right atrial isomerism (71.4%; 95% CI, 29–96.3%) and pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (57.1%; 95% CI, 18.4–90.1%). Conclusions MFMs and PCs demonstrated high and comparable accuracy in prenatal CHD diagnosis. Although PCs tended to outperform MFMs in cases where misdiagnosis could significantly impact neonatal care and outcomes, MFMs can effectively perform primary screening for fetal CHD in all pregnancies. Collaboration with PCs remains essential when fetal CHD is suspected, particularly in complex cases. Access the CME test here and search by article title.