3-DIMENSIONAL ULTRASOUND - ABNORMALITIES OF THE FETAL FACE IN SURFACEAND VOLUME RENDERING MODE

Objective To evaluate three dimensional ultrasound in surface and volu me rendering mode in fetal malformations of the face. Setting Day asse ssment unit in a university hospital. Subjects Four cases have been ex amined: two cases represented cleft lip, one case was a male with tris omy 13 (Patau syndrome) with proboscis, and one case represented a mal e fetus with unilateral anophthalmia. Conclusion A new technique of th ree dimensional ultrasound visualisation in fetal malformation using s urface and volume rendering is presented. The equipment consisted of a commercially available ultrasound machine, a built-in graphic worksta tion, and three dimensional software. Post-processing of data required approximately 10 minutes of calculation. The application of three dim ensional ultrasound in complex malformations of the face appears to pr ovide reasonable value for prenatal diagnosis and may become clinicall y useful in the near future.