EVALUATION OF 3-DIMENSIONAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY AND MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING IN ASSESSMENT OF CONGENITAL HEART ANOMALIES IN FETAL CARDIAC SPECIMENS

In this observational study, multiplanar three-dimensional ultrasound images were reconstructed from tomographic views obtained by scanning seven cadavaric fetal hearts with various congenital heart defects. Co mparisons were made with multiplanar three-dimensional magnetic resona nce imaging (MRI) of the hearts. Good-quality echocardiographic images were obtained in all but one of the fetal hearts. Multiplanar as well as three-dimensional reconstructions were possible and allowed accura te assessment of complex cardiac defects. Overall, the MRI projections had better image quality and revealed more structural details than th e sonographic views, although both imaging modes showed the same cardi ac anatomical abnormalities. Our initial results demonstrate that simu ltaneous multiplanar display of cross-sectional echocardiographic view s can be performed to provide three-dimensional images of the fetal he art, demonstrating structural cardiac malformation. However, the clini cal application of three-dimensional fetal echocardiography is at pres ent limited by the time required for image data acquisition and the ne ed for accurate temporal and positional gating in the living fetus.