title: Distinguishing right from left: a standardized technique for fetal echocardiography.
abstract: Improved echocardiographic equipment and increasing experience have led to accurate and reliable prenatal diagnosis of congenital defects and arrhythmias. However, without a standard convention for acquisition and presentation of fetal images, distinguishing the right side of the fetus from the left side can be difficult and confusing. This article proposes a standard method of image acquisition and presentation that allows confident determination of the fetal right/left axis by easily identified anatomic landmarks. This technique provides a reliable determination of the fetal right/left axis regardless of fetal position (i.e., face up, face down, facing left, or facing right), in both real time and retrospective review. Only after the fetal right/left axis has been determined can accurate diagnoses of fetal atrial and visceral situs, base-apex axis, and cardiac segmental anatomy be made.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Mayo Foundation, Rochester, MN 55902.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Cordes
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: O'Leary
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Seward
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hagler
mesh_terms: D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*