Identification of congenital cardiac malformations by echocardiography in midtrimester fetus

Fetal echocardiograms were performed in 21 pregnancies before midtrimester termination. All fetal heart specimens were collected and studied morphologically. Eighteen had been diagnosed as normal echocardiographically and this was confirmed anatomically. Deficiency of the atrial septum was suspected in one, and primum and secundum atrial septal defects were found anatomically. Coarctation of the aorta was suspected in another and this was confirmed anatomically. A ventricular septal defect was suspected in one which proved to be normal on dissection.