Park YJ, et al. J Menopausal Med. 2022 Dec;28(3):142-145. https://doi.org/10.6118/jmm.22036

Congenital ventricular diverticulum (CVD) is a cardiac malformation defined as an outpouching lesion of a ventricle with normal contractility and thickness, and the advancement of prenatal sonography has led to its prenatal diagnosis. In the prenatal period, CVD is reported in association with pericardial effusion, arrhythmia, and fetal hydrops or as an isolated condition. With the development of prenatal echocardiography, CVD can be diagnosed from the early stage of pregnancy, and prenatal procedures, such as pericardiocentesis, are also possible. Spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) acquisition, a novel approach for the clinical evaluation of fetal hearts, provides easy-to-use techniques for acquiring data from fetal hearts and helping visualization with two-dimensional and three-dimensional (3D) cine sequences. Furthermore, the speckle-tracking technique enables a more comprehensive evaluation of the shape, continuity, and function of the fetal heart. These recent techniques have never been used for CVD diagnosis and evaluation. Here, we present a case of right-sided CVD, which is the first in which STIC acquisition and cardiac function assessment with the speckle-tracking technique were used to assist in the diagnosis and evaluation.

Koh J, et al. Perinatology. 2024 Jun;35(2):76-80. https://doi.org/10.14734/PN.2024.35.2.76

Dorsal edema of the feet identified on prenatal ultrasound is exceedingly rare, and typically requires a thorough investigation to determine the underlying cause. Various conditions such as thickened normal skin and primary congenital lymphedema, which are often associated with genetic abnormalities, must be excluded. Milroy disease, a form of congenital lymphedema, must also be excluded. Vascular malformations, including congenital venous malformations (CVMs), present a significant diagnostic challenge due to their low incidence and overlapping clinical features. Diagnosing CVMs often requires distinctive characteristics, such as a sponge-like vascular space with slow flow. This report describes the unique case of an infant with isolated dorsal edema of the feet that was identified prenatally and later diagnosed with a CVM. The critical steps in the diagnosis and management of this condition are highlighted in this report.

Koh J, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2027 Mar;42:e53. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2027.42.e53