Application of three-dimensional ultrasonography in the evaluation of the fetal heart

The objectives of this study were to determine whether three-dimensional ul trasonography can provide more cardiac views than two-dimensional ultrasono graphy and to develop a standard technique. Eighteen women, 16 to 26 weeks' gestation, were scanned with two-dimensional ultrasonography for 10 minute s or less to obtain fetal heart views. Three-dimensional ultrasonography wa s used (less than or equal to 10 minutes) to obtain up to 4 acquisitions of the fetal heart: 4-chamber view, left parasagittal, transverse, and longit udinal nonstandard. Views were later extracted from saved volume data, comp aring the yields of two- and three-dimensional ultrasonography. The 4-chamb er view was obtained in 15 (93%) of 16 cases on both two- and three-dimensi onal ultrasonography. On two-dimensional ultrasonography, the left outflow tract was obtained in 68% of the cases; on three-dimensional ultrasonograph y, the left outflow tract was obtained in 46% from the 4-chamber view acqui sition and in 100% from the left parasagittal acquisition. On two-dimension al ultrasonography, the right outflow tract was obtained in 68% of the case s; on three-dimensional ultrasonography, the right outflow tract was obtain ed in 86% from the 4-chamber view acquisition and in 71% from the left para sagittal acquisition. Aortic and ductal arches were obtained in 12% and 18% , respectively, on two-dimensional ultrasonography. On three-dimensional ul trasonography the aortic and ductal arches were obtained in 66% and 86%, re spectively, from the 4-chamber view acquisition and in 57% and 71%, respect ively, from the left parasagittal acquisition. Three-dimensional ultrasonog raphy permitted a greater number of cardiac views to be extracted from volu me data than did two-dimensional ultrasonography.