title: Role of tomographic ultrasound imaging with spatiotemporal image correlation for identifying fetal ventricular septal defects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to test the possibility of diagnosing ventricular septal defects (VSDs) by using tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI) on 4-dimensional volumes of the fetal chest obtained with spatiotemporal image correlation and the color Doppler function.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated the 4-dimensional spatiotemporal image correlation volumes of 8 fetuses with VSDs (single in 7 and double in 1) between 20 and 33 weeks' gestation. The data were analyzed to determine whether VSDs were correctly identified in at least 1 of 7 automatically generated TUI displays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All of the included VSDs were correctly identified with the use of an interslice distance in the TUI function ranging from 0.8 to 2 mm without the need to further manipulate the volume.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This automatic approach shows good retrieval of diagnostic cardiac planes in fetuses with VSDs, which may improve the diagnostic accuracy for this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. giuseppe.rizzo@uniroma2.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capponi
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vendola
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pietrolucci
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arduini
mesh_terms: D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods; D019561:Echocardiography, Four-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014054:Tomography / Q000379:methods*