- Normal orientation of the
fetal heart:
- Heart in the left
chest cavity.
- Cardiac apex points to
the left.
- Associated cardiac defects:
- 44% of fetal heart
defects are associated with levocardia greater than 57° (1).
- Levocardia greater
than 75° correlated with a
positive predictive value of 76% for congenital heart defects (2).
- Shipp TD, Bromley B,
Hornberger LK. Levorotation of the fetal cardiac axis: A clue for the
presence of congenital heart disease. Obstet Gynecol 1995:85:97-102.
- Smith RS, Comstock CH, Kirk
JS et.al. Ultrasonographic left cardiac axis deviation: A marker for fetal
anomalies. Obstet Gynecol 1995;85:187-191.