Fetal lung volume: three-dimensional ultrasonography compared with magnetic resonance imaging.
OBJECTIVE
An accurate and reliable method for measuring fetal lung volumes would be helpful in predicting the outcome in cases with suspected impaired lung growth. Recent studies show that it is possible to obtain fetal lung volume estimations with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography. The purpose of this study was to assess the agreement of lung volumes measured with 3D ultrasonography and MRI in uncomplicated pregnancies.


METHODS
This was a prospective study in which MRI and 3D ultrasonography examinations were conducted on the same day to measure the fetal lung volumes of 10 women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Intraclass correlation was used to evaluate the agreement between fetal lung volume measurements obtained by MRI and 3D ultrasonography. A proportionate Bland-Altman plot was constructed.


RESULTS
The intraclass correlation coefficient between MRI and 3D ultrasonography measurements for the right lung was 0.92 (95% CI 0.71-0.98) and for the left lung was 0.95 (95% CI 0.82-0.99). The proportionate limits of agreement between the methods were for the right lung -32.57% to 20.03% and for the left lung -21.26% to 17.13%.


CONCLUSIONS
There is good agreement between lung volumes measured by MRI and those measured by 3D ultrasonography.
Gerards
F A
FA
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. fa.gerards@vumc.nl
Twisk
J W R
JW
Bakker
M
M
Barkhof
F
F
van Vugt
J M G
JM
D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008168:Lung / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology*; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*