The role of 3D ultrasonography in the analysis of fetal cardiac anatomy

Objective: We aimed in this study to compare two-dimensional ultrasonography with three-dimensional ultrasonography for obtaining standard anatomic cross-sections used during ultrasonographic fetal cardiac examination between 18 and 24 weeks of gestation. Methods: Four-chamber view, aorta, pulmonary arterial outlets and cross-section of three-vessel in real-time gray scale were obtained from totally 2839 patients between 18 and 24 weeks of gestation who referred to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic of Mersin University’s Health Practices and Research Hospital between 16.01.2007 and 19.12.2009, and were admitted for fetal anatomic screening. Subsequently, they were evaluated according to the protocol defined by obtaining static three-dimensional volume data. Results: Totally 2839 pregnant women who were between 18 and 24 weeks of gestation with ages between 18 and 43 were included into the study. The median age was 27.3 (range: 17-46) years, mean pregnancy number was 1.9 (range: 1-7), and mean examination week was 21 weeks and 4 days. In the evaluation, congenital anomaly was found in 143 cases (5.03%), and among them, congenital cardiac anomaly was in 28 cases (0.9%). Four-chamber views were obtained in all cases whose volume data were taken by 3D ultrasonography. Seventy-eight percent of aortic outlet was observed, 75% of pulmonary outlet was observed and 90% of vessels and trachea crosssection was observed. Conclusion: It was observed that the standard cross-sections consulted during fetal cardiac examination by 3D ultrasonography were obtained with a rate between 75-90%. On the other hand, technical issues we faced during conventional ultrasonographic evaluation prevented also by this method to yield satisfactory results during the examination.