title: Live three-dimensional echocardiography of the human fetus.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using a new three-dimensional ultrasound system to perform fetal echocardiographic examination in real time. The device consisted of a Philips Sonos 7500 (Andover, MA) ultrasound system and a 4 MHz, 4X matrix transducer. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board and was performed with the informed consent of the mother. The study population consisted of 12 singleton fetuses with gestational ages of 16-37 weeks. Of these, ten fetuses had normal cardiac anatomy, one had complete atrioventricular septal defect, and the other a thickened tricuspid valve. The system allowed comprehensive visualization of fetal cardiac anatomy and color Doppler flow unattainable by two-dimensional approaches. This preliminary investigation suggests that live three-dimensional fetal echocardiography could be a significant tool for prenatal diagnosis and assessment of congenital heart disease in the human fetus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, New York 11501, USA. dmaulik@winthrop.org
authors.forename: Dev
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maulik
authors.forename: Navin C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Nanda
authors.forename: Vikramjit
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Harvinder
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dod
authors.forename: Srinivas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vengala
authors.forename: Ashish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: Maninder S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sidhu
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Khanna
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lysikiewicz
authors.forename: Genevieve
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sicuranza
authors.forename: Nayana
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Modh
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D004373:Ductus Arteriosus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*