Module 8 Fetal brain and heart Flashcards
The heart tube begins to develop from the mesoderm at which week and is fully formed by when?
Develops at the 5th week and is fully formed by the 10th week
The heart tube is routinely valued from when to when?
From 18 weeks to term (40 weeks)
When is the best time to evaluate the fetal heart?
18-24 weeks
How does the heart sit in the chest? What is the heart position within the fetus in terms of midline? How is the apex angled? How much of the chest does it occupy? Which side is it on?
- Sits complete horizontal in the fetal chest
- Located to the left of midline
- The apex points about 45 degrees to the left
- Occupies 1/3 of the chest
- Located to the left of midline
The two atria of the fetal heart lie how compared to the 2 ventricles ?
They sit posterior
Which chamber of the fetal heart is the most posterior?
Left atrium
Which chamber is the most anterior?
Right ventricle
What are the valves of the fetal heart?
- Two atria ventricular valves
- Two semi lunar valves between the ventricles and circulatory system
Where are the two atria ventricular valves located? What are they?
- Between the atria and ventricles
- Mitral and tricuspid
Where are the two semi lunar valves located in the fetal heart?
Between the ventricles and circulatory system.
Consists of
1. Aortic valve and pulmonary valve
What is the mitral valve also know as? How many cusps does it have? What does it do?
- Bicuspid valve
- Contains 2 cusps
- Passes blood from left atrium to the left ventricle
How many cusps does the tricuspid valve have?
- 3 cusps
What is blood flow in the tricuspid valve?
Passes blood from the right atrium to the right ventricle
The mitral and tricuspid do what together? And how do they lay in terms of each other?
They open and close together and are situated at the same level in the heart
The aortic valve contains how many cusps?
3 cusps
What does the aortic valve do?
Passes oxygenated blood from the left ventricle into the aorta to be distributed to the rest of the body
The pulmonary valve has how many cusps?
3
What does the pulmonary valve do?
Passes deoxygenated blood (postnatal) from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery to be oxygenated by the lungs
How does the pulmonary artery sit in terms of position to the aorta?
It is more anterior and superior
Which artery bifurcates?
Pulmonary artery
What are the routine images of the heart? 5
- Four chamber heart
- Left outflow tract
- Right outflow tract
- Heart axis/ situs
- Fetal heart M mode
+/- cine clip
At 19 weeks the fetal heart is the size similar to what?
An almond
What does the fetal 4 chamber heart show?
All four chamber with septum
What is the moderator band?
The thick muscle of the moderator band makes the right ventricular chamber look smaller than the left
The moderator band is used to prove what?
Which chamber is the right ventricle in abnormal hearts
What does the RVOT demonstrate?
The right ventricle with the pulmonary artery
Do the LVOT and RVOT cross each other in the fetal heart?
Yes
What is the normal fetal heart rate?
120-160
During first trimester what heart rate is concerning?
Under 100
In early pregnancies the heart may actually stop for how long?
A few seconds when you scan. IF this happens during a scan, move away and return to the heart at a later time.
What is the heart rate of the fetal heart during the third trimester?
Up to 180
What is Bradycardia in the 2nd and 3rd semester? What is tachycardia?
Under 100 is bradycardia and over 200 is tachycardia
When getting the cine clip of the fetus where should we start? And why? Where do we go from the start?
Start at the level of the AC to demonstrate the fetal stomach to confirm citrus. Then we slowly sweep cephalic on the fetus
What do we demonstrate during cine clips of the fetus? 5
- Stomach
- 4 chamber view
- LVOT
- RVOT
- 3 vessel view
When getting a fetal heart M mode of the fetus, how many beats are usually measured?
1 beat
What comprises of the fetal circulation? 3
- Ductus venous
- Foramen ovale
- Ductus arteriosis
What does the ductus arteriosis do?
Shunts blood from the pulmonary artery to the aortic arch to bypass the lungs during fetal life
What does the ductus arteriosis do after delivery ?
It closes
What is the fetal foramen ovale? What does it do?
- Opening between atria
- Brings blood from the right atrium to the left atrium
- Helps bypass the lungs
The foramen ovale flap opens into what?
The left atrium
What are some additional images we can take for the fetal heart? 4
- Short axis (circle and sausage)
- SVC - IVC with the right atrium
- Aortic arch
- Pulmonary veins with the left atrium
What does the short axis view of the fetal heart demonstrate? 4
- The right and left atria
- The right ventricle
- Pulmonary artery
- Ductus arteriosis all circling the aorta
What does the IVC and the SVC do?
They bring deoxygenated blood back from the body to the right atrium
What are the three vessels at the aortic arch?
- Brachiocephalic artery
- Left common carotid artery
- Left subclavian artery
What does the duct Ao arch look like?
A hockey stick
Where is the ductal arch?
Where the right ventricle with the ductus joins the aorta
What does the pulmonary veins do?
They bring oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium in newborns
How many pulmonary veins are there?
4
On the ultrasound how many pulmonary veins will you see?
2 of them
The central nervous system (CMS) develops from what? And when?
A thickened area of the ectoderm in a process called neurulation at 4.5 LMP
During the formation of a neural plate, the neural tube closes where? And progresses where?
Starts around the middle and progresses to cranial and Cephalic ends
When does the cranial end and the caudal end of the neural tube close?
Cranial closes at 38 LMP and the caudal closes at 40 LMP
The neural tube differentiates into how many vesicles when?
It differentiates into three primary vesicles by the end of the 6th week
1. Prosencephalon
2. Mesencephalon
3. Rhombencephalon
What does the prosencephalon consist of?
The forebrain