Value of umbilical vein catheter color Doppler ultrasonic blood flow spectral parameters and myocardial performance index in diagnosing fetal heart malformation

Objective To explore the value of prenatal ultrasound indicators in diagnosing fetal heart malformation during pregnancy.

Methods A case-control study was conducted, and 76 fetuses with confirmed heart malformation during follow-up in the hospital were selected as case group, and another 76 fetuses without any heart malformation were selected as control group. The results of ultrasound examinations during pregnancy for both groups were compared, including umbilical vein catheter color Doppler ultrasonic blood flow spectral parameters, cardiac axis angle, and myocardial performance index (MPI). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the value of each indicator in auxiliary diagnosis of fetal congenital heart malformation during pregnancy.

Results The ventricular systolic velocity, peak atrial systolic velocity, peak ventricular diastolic velocity, and maximum A-wave velocity in the case group were significantly lower than those in the control group, while the pulsatility index, venous preload index, and venous peak flow index were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Values of area under the curve (AUC) of ROC curves for ventricular systolic velocity, peak ventricular diastolic velocity, peak atrial systolic velocity, maximum A-wave velocity, pulsatility index, venous preload index, and venous peak flow index in diagnosing fetal heart malformation were 0.680, 0.753, 0.590, 0.859, 0.674, 0.715 and 0.663, respectively. The left ventricular MPI, right ventricular MPI, and cardiac axis angle in the case group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The values of AUC for left ventricular MPI, right ventricular MPI, and cardiac axis angle in diagnosing fetal heart malformation were 0.502, 0.571 and 0.712, respectively.

Conclusion Implementation of umbilical vein catheter color Doppler ultrasonic blood flow spectral parameters, cardiac axis angle, and MPI screening during pregnancy has important reference value for auxiliary diagnosis of fetal heart malformation.