title: Application of three-dimensional ultrasonography in the evaluation of the fetal heart.
abstract: The objectives of this study were to determine whether three-dimensional ultrasonography can provide more cardiac views than two-dimensional ultrasonography and to develop a standard technique. Eighteen women, 16 to 26 weeks' gestation, were scanned with two-dimensional ultrasonography for 10 minutes or less to obtain fetal heart views. Three-dimensional ultrasonography was used (< or =10 minutes) to obtain up to 4 acquisitions of the fetal heart: 4-chamber view, left parasagittal, transverse, and longitudinal nonstandard. Views were later extracted from saved volume data, comparing the yields of two- and three-dimensional ultrasonography. The 4-chamber view was obtained in 15 (93%) of 16 cases on both two- and three-dimensional ultrasonography. On two-dimensional ultrasonography, the left outflow tract was obtained in 68% of the cases; on three-dimensional ultrasonography, the left outflow tract was obtained in 46% from the 4-chamber view acquisition and in 100% from the left parasagittal acquisition. On two-dimensional ultrasonography, the right outflow tract was obtained in 68% of the cases; on three-dimensional ultrasonography, the right outflow tract was obtained in 86% from the 4-chamber view acquisition and in 71% from the left parasagittal acquisition. Aortic and ductal arches were obtained in 12% and 18%, respectively, on two-dimensional ultrasonography. On three-dimensional ultrasonography the aortic and ductal arches were obtained in 66% and 86%, respectively, from the 4-chamber view acquisition and in 57% and 71%, respectively, from the left parasagittal acquisition. Three-dimensional ultrasonography permitted a greater number of cardiac views to be extracted from volume data than did two-dimensional ultrasonography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bega
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuhlman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lev-Toaff
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurtz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wapner
mesh_terms: D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal