Application of automated sonography on 4-dimensional volumes of fetuses with transposition of the great arteries.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess, in second-trimester fetuses with transposition of the great arteries (TGA), the performance of software (sonographically based volume computer-aided analysis) that automatically retrieves diagnostic cardiac planes from a 4-dimensional volume of the fetal chest obtained with spatiotemporal image correlation.


METHODS
We retrospectively evaluated the 4-dimensional spatiotemporal image correlation volumes of 12 fetuses with TGA (complete TGA, 10 cases; correct TGA, 2 cases). The data were analyzed to determine whether the target diagnostic planes, that is, cardiac plane 1 (left ventricle outflow tract) and cardiac plane 2 (right ventricle outflow tract), were correctly identified in at least 1 of the 7 automatically generated tomographic sonographic image displays and whether they allowed diagnosis of TGA.


RESULTS
In 9 of 10 fetuses with complete TGA, target diagnostic cardiac plane 1 showed a branching arterial vessel (pulmonary artery) arising from the left ventricle, whereas in 7 of 10 fetuses, the aorta arising from the right ventricle was shown. In both cases with correct TGA, the pulmonary artery starting from the morphologic left ventricle was shown, whereas in 1 of 2, the connection of the aorta with the morphologic right ventricle was found. In all of the fetuses with TGA, a ventricular arterial connection anomaly was shown in either cardiac plane 1 or 2.


CONCLUSIONS
This automatic approach shows good retrieval of diagnostic cardiac planes in fetuses with TGA, which may improve diagnostic efficacy for this disease.
Rizzo
Giuseppe
G
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Ospedale Fatebenefratelli S. Giovanni Calabita, Isola Tiberina 89, 00186 Rome, Italy. giuseppe.rizzo@uniroma2.it
Capponi
Alessandra
A
Cavicchioni
Ottavia
O
Vendola
Marianne
M
Pietrolucci
Maria E
ME
Arduini
Domenico
D
D001011:Aorta / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005865:Gestational Age; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014188:Transposition of Great Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*