Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Spiridon Pepes, Fragiskos Parthenakis, Antonis Makrigiannakis, Ioannis Germanakis
Summary: Comparing the performance of conventional STIC and eSTIC techniques in offline reconstruction of fetal heart volume pairs, eSTIC showed superior temporal resolution, reduced motion artifacts, and better image quality in all planes compared to STIC. eSTIC also achieved more diagnostic reconstructions. However, both technologies faced challenges in successful reconstructions during early gestation. Future studies are needed to assess the cost-effectiveness and diagnostic impact of eSTIC over conventional STIC in fetal echocardiography.
JOURNAL OF MATERNAL-FETAL & NEONATAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Vagisha Pruthi, Nimrah Abbasi, Varsha Thakur, Shiri Shinar, Anne O'Connor, Rachel Silver, Tasha Simpson, Tim Van Mieghem
Summary: This study aimed to assess the performance of a comprehensive fetal anatomy assessment in a high-risk population. A retrospective review of high-risk patients undergoing comprehensive fetal anatomy ultrasound assessment was conducted. The results showed that early assessments had similar performance metrics as the second trimester anatomy ultrasound. We advocate for a comprehensive fetal assessment in the care of high-risk pregnancies.
PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Laura Nogue, Olga Gomez, Nora Izquierdo, Cristina Mula, Narcis Masoller, Josep M. Martinez, Eduard Gratacos, Greggory Devore, Fatima Crispi, Mar Bennasar
Summary: This study evaluated the feasibility and reproducibility of 4D-STIC speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) using FetalHQ(R), and compared it to 2D STE. The results showed that 4D-STIC is feasible and reproducible for assessing cardiac morphometry and function.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Acoustics
E. Contro, N. Volpe, L. Larcher, A. Dall'Asta, M. A. Penas da Costa, G. Vairo, E. di Pasquo, I. Giorgini, T. Ghi
Summary: This study aimed to describe the appearance and size of the ganglionic eminence (GE) in normal fetuses using three-dimensional (3D) neurosonography and to investigate the association between GE alterations (cavitation or enlargement) and malformation of cortical development (MCD). The study included normal fetuses and retrospective analysis of pathological cases with MCD. The results showed that the systematic assessment of the GE in fetuses at 19-22 weeks of gestation is feasible and reproducible on 3D neurosonography. Cavitation or enlargement of the GE can be observed in fetuses with MCD.
ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Michael Gembicki, Jann Lennard Scharf, Christoph Dracopoulos, Amrei Welp, Jan Weichert
Summary: This study indicates that the FINE static mode technique is reliable and provides similar cardiac anatomical information compared to conventional STIC volumes. It can help facilitate volumetric cardiac assessment in daily routine.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Maria Gaia Dodaro, Elisa Montaguti, Anna Balducci, Antonella Perolo, Emanuela Angeli, Jacopo Lenzi, Lorenzo Lombardo, Andrea Donti, Gaetano Gargiulo, Gianluigi Pilu
Summary: The study suggests that the use of e-STIC technology can improve the reproducibility of ventricular deformation analysis, especially for left ventricular global strain. Additionally, e-STIC shows better reliability in measuring left ventricular ejection fraction compared to 2D analysis.
JOURNAL OF MATERNAL-FETAL & NEONATAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Acoustics
Stav Gofer, Oren Haik, Ron Bardin, Yinon Gilboa, Sharon Perlman
Summary: The study demonstrates the feasibility of using machine learning algorithms to classify first-trimester fetal brain ultrasound images and lays the foundation for earlier diagnosis of fetal brain abnormalities.
JOURNAL OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ian C. Simcock, Susan C. Shelmerdine, J. Ciaran Hutchinson, Neil J. Sebire, Owen J. Arthurs
Summary: This protocol outlines the process of preparing and imaging human fetuses using microfocus computed tomography as a less invasive alternative to conventional autopsy. It allows for high-resolution isotropic datasets to be produced, enabling radio-pathological interpretations and long-term digital archiving for data sharing and re-review, as required.
Article
Acoustics
B. Karmegaraj, S. Kumar, B. Srimurugan, A. Sudhakar, J. M. Simpson, B. Vaidyanathan
Summary: The study suggests that the addition of 3D/4D STIC to conventional 2D fetal echocardiography confers incremental benefit on the accuracy of identifying crucial anatomical details and predicting the postnatal surgical approach in fetuses with double-outlet right ventricle (DORV), particularly enhancing the accuracy in predicting single-stage and multistage surgical repair.
ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Roxana Gireada, Alexandra Ursache, Roxana Matasariu, Razvan Socolov
Summary: Atrial septal aneurysm (ASA) is a rarely reported fetal finding, usually diagnosed when the foramen ovale flap extends at least halfway across the left atrium. It can lead to fetal arrhythmia or left ventricular inflow obstruction and result in left heart hypoplasia.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Xining Wu, Zihan Niu, Zhonghui Xu, Yuxin Jiang, Yixiu Zhang, Hua Meng, Yunshu Ouyang
Summary: The automated 3D fractional limb volume model improves the accuracy of fetal weight estimation in most third-trimester Chinese fetuses. Prediction accuracy of the 3D model, particularly for neonates with birth weight < 3500 g, is higher compared to the traditional 2D model.
BMC PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH
(2021)
Article
Acoustics
Michael Gembicki, David R. Hartge, Theresa Fernandes, Jan Weichert
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the feasibility of a semiautomatic approach for fetal heart assessments in cases of optimal and unfavorable fetal spine positions. A total of 1693 spatiotemporal image correlation volumes of first-, second-, and third-trimester fetuses were evaluated by experts using the FINE approach. The results showed that the FINE technique is effective but its feasibility depends on the fetal position, with potential implications for detecting fetal cardiac anomalies.
JOURNAL OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
A. Puissegur, N. Salesse, A. Delabaere, B. Chauveau, L. Ouchchane, A. Debost-Legrand, D. Lemery
Summary: The study found that the free choice of ultrasound propagation velocity significantly improves the completion rate and anatomical quality of fetal second-trimester ultrasound examination in obese women.
DIAGNOSTIC AND INTERVENTIONAL IMAGING
(2021)
Article
Acoustics
Tian-gang Li, Xiao-rong Su, Wen-rui Wu, Wen-dong Zhang, Bin Ma
Summary: This study aimed to explore the diagnostic value of spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) for different types of fetal conotruncal defects (CTDs). The clinical data and STIC images of 174 fetuses with CTDs were analyzed retrospectively. STIC imaging can be used in the diagnosis of different types of CTDs, especially persistent arterial trunks.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ULTRASOUND
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Nathalie Jeanne Magioli Bravo-Valenzuela, Andre Souza Malho, Caroline de Oliveira Nieblas, Pedro Teixeira Castro, Heron Werner, Edward Araujo Junior
Summary: This article describes the evaluation of congenital heart diseases using three-dimensional ultrasound and different software. These technologies provide realistic images of the fetal heart and allow better visualization of cardiovascular anatomical details. Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography technology enables automatic reconstruction of fetal cardiac views and alerts non-specialists to suspected heart diseases. These technologies, combined with artificial intelligence, improve the depth perception and resolution of cardiac structures and blood vessels compared to standard two-dimensional ultrasound.