What causes an echogenic intracardiac focus?
The cause of an echogenic intracardiac focus is unknown. It is possible that calcium deposits in the muscle wall of the ventricles may cause these spots. Calcium is a natural mineral found in the body. Areas of the body that have more calcium, such as bones, show up brighter on an ultrasound.
How common is EIF?
This is commonly referred to as an EIF (echogenic intracardiac focus) or echogenic foci (plural). This is a common finding on ultrasounds, seen in about 3 percent to 5 percent of pregnancies. An EIF does not generally impact the overall health of the baby or the development of his or her heart.
How do you prevent Hyperuricosuria in dogs?
Prevention strategies suggested for the management of urate uroliths in dogs with genetic hyperuricosuria include low purine diets (often achieved by feeding a low protein diet), urine alkalinisation, xanthine oxidase inhibitors, and increased water intake [4].
Is EIF normal?
An EIF is considered a normal variation in fetal development. It has not been found to have any long term health problems or heart problems for the baby. Most of the time, EIF is seen during the routine prenatal ultrasound done around 18 to 20 weeks in pregnancy.
Should I be worried about echogenic intracardiac focus?
But echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is almost never something to worry about. It shows up as a bright spot on the heart in imaging, and it’s thought to be a microcalcification on the heart muscle. EIF occurs in as many as 5 percent of all pregnancies.
Does an isolated EIF mean Down syndrome?
Two studies performed in low-risk patients demonstrated an isolated EIF in only one of 626 Down syndrome fetuses. Both studies concluded that isolated EIF was not a marker for Down syndrome in low-risk patients (21,839 total patients).
Does EIF mean Down syndrome?
An echogenic intracardial focus (EIF) is an ultrasound „soft marker“ for aneuploidy, most commonly for Down syndrome and trisomy 18. An EIFs are found in about 5% of all fetuses during second trimester sonography. An EIF seems like a small bright spot in the baby’s heart ventricle.
What causes uric acid crystals in dogs?
Urate bladder stones are most commonly the result of a genetic abnormality that causes a defect in the metabolism of uric acid. Other causes of urate bladder stones include liver diseases such as portosystemic shunts.
What is an echogenic focus?
An echogenic focus, or echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF), is a bright spot on a fetus’s heart observed by ultrasound. Echogenic foci are common and usually harmless. Menu
What are echogenic intracardiac foci (EIF)?
On ultrasound, there might be one or more bright spots found, usually in the ventricles, which pump blood. These bright spots are called echogenic intracardiac foci (multiple), or an echogenic intracardiac focus (singular), often shortened to EIF. You might also hear it referred to as a cardiac echogenic focus or echogenic focus.
Does Echogenic intracardiac focus increase the risk of Down syndrome?
Well, in 1995, a study done by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital on 1334 pregnant women found that babies with a documented echogenic intracardiac focus had a significant risk of Down syndrome. BUT!
Why is genetic testing so hard to detect in dogs?
This sort of genetic disorder can hide in the genome before showing up in a puppy. For this reason, they’re much harder to detect and prevent unless parents undergo specific chromosome testing.