title: Scan the fetal heart by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography with live xPlane imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the methodology of live xPlane imaging in the visualization of the fetal heart in detail.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one consecutive pregnant women with singleton pregnancies were imaged to display four screening sections of the fetal heart, the four-chamber view, the left outflow tract view (LVOT), the right outflow tract view (RVOT), and the three-vessel and trachea view (3VT), using live xPlane imaging. The methodology of how to visualize the screening planes was described in detail. We used two methods to image the fetal heart with live xPlane imaging: one uses the four-chamber view as the starting plane and the other uses the longitudinal view of fetal upper thorax as the starting plane.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When using the four-chamber view as the starting plane, the visualization rate of LVOT, RVOT, and 3VT was 94.1% (48/51), 100% (51/51), and 98.0% (50/51), respectively. When using the longitudinal view as the starting plane, the visualization rate of four-chamber view, LVOT, RVOT, and 3VT was 100% (51/51), 100% (51/51), 41.2% (21/51), and 100% (51/51), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Live xPlane imaging can be used to visualize the screening views of the fetal heart, and potentially may be a useful tool for the assessment and diagnosis of fetal congenital heart diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. xiongyi.xiongyi@163.com
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lin Wai
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Yuen Ha
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ting
authors.forename: Tak Yuen
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Tak Yeung
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Tze Kin
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003199:Computer Systems; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000502:physiology; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult