title: Evaluation of normal fetal ductus venosus using B-flow imaging with spatiotemporal image correlation and traditional color Doppler echocardiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the feasibility of using four-dimensional echocardiography with B-flow and spatiotemporal image correlation (4DBF-STIC) imaging technology to detect fetal ductus venosus (DV), and establish the normal reference range for the ductus venosus diameter at 18-40 weeks gestation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective observational study to detect the DV in 354 normal fetuses at 18-40 weeks of gestation using color Doppler echocardiography (CDE) and 4DBF-STIC imaging. CDE was performed on an oblique transverse plane of the fetal abdomen, with scanning around the long-axis view of the aortic arch. The DV inlet was measured on a two-dimensional gray-scale image of the long-axis view of the DV. Offline analyses of all datasets were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The inlet diameter of the DV increased with increasing gestational age. There were no gender-related differences in the DV diameter. Data revealed that 4DBF-STIC was the best method to detect the DV between 18 and 29 weeks of gestation. The visualization rate was higher when scanning around the long-axis view of the aortic arch with CDE than when scanning around the oblique transverse plane throughout the gestational period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Scanning around the long-axis view of the aortic arch using CDE was best suited for detecting the DV in clinical practice, whereas 4DBF-STIC was a feasible and promising technology to detect the fetal DV before 29 weeks of gestation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sonography, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Cai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ailu
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiaoguang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*; D019561:Echocardiography, Four-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: B-flow imaging; color Doppler; ductus venosus; fetal; four-dimensional echocardiography; spatiotemporal image correlation