Reduced fetal brain fissures depth in fetuses with congenital heart diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To screen and detect cortex gyration in fetuses with congenital heart disease (CHD) using Ultrasonography (US) during routine obstetric scans.

METHODS: The depth of the Sylvian fissure (SF), parieto-occipital fissure (POF), and calcarine (CF) fissure were prospectively serially measured and compared in 45 fetuses with CHD and 45 normal fetuses. Cardiac hemodynamic parameters, including aortic valve diameter (AV), pulmonary valve diameter (PV), velocity time integral of the aortic valve (VTIav), and velocity time integral of the pulmonary valve (VTIpv), were recorded. Correlations between the fissure depths and the prenatal cardiac hemodynamic parameters and postnatal neurodevelopmental scores were assessed.

RESULTS: SF, POF, and CF were decreased in CHD fetuses compared with the controls in late of pregnancy (P < 0.01). The diagnostic category was independently associated with smaller fissure depths in fetuses with CHD (adjusted R(2)  = 0.472 for SF, 0.465 for POF, and 0.425 for CF). Correlations were observed between small fissure depths and decreased left heart hemodynamic parameters (AV and VTIav) in fetuses with CHD. The SF depth was positively correlated with the neurodevelopmental scores (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: US can be used to screen for abnormal fetal brain cortex development during routine obstetric scans and to evaluate the maturation progress during close follow-up. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.