Evaluation of Intracranial Structures of Fetuses with Congenital Heart Defects

Objectives We classified congenital heart defects (CHDs) according to cerebral blood flow oxygenation and aimed to evaluate the effect on the size of brain structures in these fetuses. Methods The study which was designed retrospectively, included 28 patients with fetal CHDs and 76 patients without fetal anomalies. Results The width and length of the cavum septum pellucidum significantly increased in the CHD group (P = .002, P = .004). The biparietal diameter and z scores were significantly lower in the single ventricle (SV) (P = .006, P = .019), and the head circumference (HC) and z scores were significantly lower in the transposition of great arteries (TGA) (P = .013, P = .038). The transverse cerebellar diameter, the cerebellar HC and the cerebellar hemisphere area values were lower in the SV (P = .005, P = .017, P = .044). Conclusions Brain structure changes are more pronounced in groups with low cerebral oxygenation, especially in the SV and the TGA.

Automated summary

This study classified congenital heart defects (CHDs) based on cerebral blood flow oxygenation and assessed their impact on fetal brain structure. The results showed that brain structure changes were more prominent in groups with low cerebral oxygenation, particularly in the single ventricle (SV) and transposition of great arteries (TGA) cases.