3-DIMENSIONAL INTRAUTERINE SONOGRAPHY IN THE EARLY FIRST-TRIMESTER OFHUMAN-PREGNANCY - PRELIMINARY-STUDY

Our purpose was to visualize normal embryonal surface anatomic structu res using three-dimensional (3D) intrauterine sonography with a 20 MHz flexible catheter-based high-resolution real-time miniature transduce r in the early first trimester of pregnancy. A total of 15 women about to undergo therapeutic abortion at 7-9.9 weeks gestational age were s tudied by means of 3D intrauterine sonography with a specially develop ed catheter-based high-resolution real-time miniature (2.4 mm in outer diameter) ultrasound transducer (20 MHz). This imaging system can pro vide conventional 2D intrauterine sonographic images and can also gene rate within seconds high-quality 3D images in the surface and transpar ent mode. At week 8, prominent forehead was evident, and upper and low er limbs and midgut herniation were clearly depicted. At week 9, finge rs and toes were depicted as small digital rays, and the sacral tail p rotruded caudally. The midline cranial ectodermal cleft was also ident ified. At week 10, embryonic face and fingers were clearly shown. 3D i ntrauterine sonography provides a novel means for visualizing of surfa ce anatomic structures of the human embryo in utero, These results sug gest that 3D intrauterine sonography can become an important modality in future embryological research and in detection of embryonic develop mental disorders in the early first-trimester pregnancy.