Single umbilical artery

Single umbilical artery (SUA) is the absence of one of the arteries surrounding the fetal bladder and in the fetal umbilical cord. Assessment of the umbilical arteries can be made from the cord itself in either transverse or longitudinal sections. The umbilical arteries can also be assessed at the cord insertion site into the fetal abdomen and on either side of the fetal bladder as the vessels originate from the iliac arteries . If needed, the assessment can be enhanced with color flow Doppler. Short femur length is an ultrasound marker for fetal aneuploidy, particularly trisomy 21. If short femur is detected, other long bones should be assessed and referral with follow-up ultrasound should be considered. The presence of short long bones that involve both the humerus and the femur seems to be less important than the finding of an isolated short humerus.

5. Echogenic intracardiac focus

Echogenic intracardiac focus (EICF) is defined as a focus of echogenicity comparable to bone, in the region of the papillary muscle in either or both ventricles of the fetal heart. Eighty-eight percent are only in the left ventricle, 5% are only in the right, and 7% are biventricular . The association between isolated EICF and fetal aneuploidy has been described in both retrospective and prospective studies. The evidence is best for left or biventricular EICF, but this is likely due to the greater frequency that foci are found in these locations .