title: Four-dimensional sonography with spatiotemporal image correlation and tomographic ultrasound imaging in the prenatal diagnosis of anomalous pulmonary venous connections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the use of 4-dimensional (4D) sonography with spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) and tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI) can provide additional information with respect to 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiography in the prenatal diagnosis of anomalous pulmonary venous connections.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 10 cases that were initially suspected to have total or partial anomalous pulmonary venous connections by prenatal 2D echocardiography between January 2008 and April 2011. All 10 cases were further examined and analyzed by 4D sonography with STIC-TUI. Detailed postnatal surgery or autopsy was performed on all 10 fetuses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total anomalous pulmonary venous connections were found in 5 cases, and a partial connection was diagnosed in 1 fetus postnatally. The remaining 4 cases were confirmed to have normal pulmonary venous connections. Four of the 5 fetuses with anomalous pulmonary venous connections had an additional major cardiac defect; 1 fetus had an isolated connection. Anomalous drainage was supracardiac to the superior vena cava in 2 cases, cardiac to the coronary sinus in 3, and partially infracardiac to the portal vein in remaining case. The pulmonary venous connections were completely and correctly visualized with 2D echocardiography in 2 of the 10 cases, partially identified in 4, and not distinguished completely in 4. Four-dimensional sonography imaging with STIC-TUI clearly visualized the connections in 9 of the 10 cases, and the remaining case was partially identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Four-dimensional sonography with STIC-TUI facilitates visualization of pulmonary venous connections, thus supplying additional information with respect to 2D echocardiography in the prenatal diagnosis of anomalous pulmonary venous connections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonic Medicine, Fetal Medical Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 58 Zhongshan Er Rd, 510080 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Ruan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Hong-Ning
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Hui-Juan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Ju
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Yun-Xiao
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D019561:Echocardiography, Four-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*; D054079:Vascular Malformations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*