3-DIMENSIONAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF FETAL HEART ANATOMY ANDFUNCTION - ACQUISITION, ANALYSIS, AND DISPLAY

The purpose of this work was to assess the functional dynamics and ana tomy of the cardiac chambers and great vessels in the fetus (18 to 36 weeks) using in utero three-dimensional ultrasonographic imaging. Fift een patients were studied using conventional two-dimensional sonograph ic equipment incorporating a position sensor attached to the transduce r and a graphics workstation. Sonographic image data were acquired at 30 images per second and required less than 30 seconds per data set. F etal heart rate and time in the cardiac cycle were determined and used to synchronize image data for reprojection into a volume at the appro priate part of the cardiac cycle. Volume data were analyzed, rendered, and displayed interactively. Three-dimensional sonographic volume dat a demonstrated fetal cardiac anatomy from multiple orientations and sh owed the myocardium, valves, ventricles, and atria clearly. The images showed good correlation with currently available embryologic-anatomic -pathologic data. Dynamic and spatial relationships among chambers, va lves, and great vessels were readily appreciated. Three-dimensional so nographic imaging of the fetal heart provides both anatomic and functi onal information regarding the valves, myocardium, great vessels, and chamber dynamics. Interactive three-dimensional cinegraphic display en hances visualization of cardiac anatomy, which can be difficult to app reciate with two-dimensional methods. The methods presented in this wo rk demonstrate the feasibility of three-dimensional fetal echocardiogr aphy.