Ultrasonography of Normal Fetal Fourth Ventricle in the Second Trimester of Pregnancy / 中国医学影像学杂志

Purpose To characterize normal growth of the fetal fourth ventricle in the second trimester of pregnancy by standardized ultrasonography.Materials and Methods 516 cases of pregnant women with single fetus aged 18-27 weeks and 6 days were examined by conventional ultrasound.At the standard section of the fourth ventricle,the transverse dimension,anteroposterior dimension,circumference and area of the fourth ventricle were measured.Results The display rate of the fourth ventricles of fetuses aged 18-27 weeks and 6 days was up to 100％.There were no significant differences in the values of the fourth ventricles between fetuses with different gender (P＞0.05).The values of the fourth ventricle,including transverse dimension,anteroposterior dimension,circumference and area,increased linearly with the increase of gestational age,and there were positive correlations (r=0.374,0.378,0.387,0.379,P＜0.05).Conclusion The normal size of the fourth ventricle can be obtained by standardized measurement,which can be used as a reference for the clinical evaluation of the size of the fourth ventricle.

Prenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis of fetal absent pulmonary valve syndrome / 中华医学超声杂志（电子版）

ObjectiveTo summarize the value of prenatal ultrasonography in the diagnosis of fetal absent pulmonary valve syndrome (APVS).MethodsBetween January 2010 and January 2014, ifve cases with fetal APVS diagnosed by prenatal ultrasound and conifrmed by autopsy in West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University were reviewed. Four conventional views of fetal echocardiography were used to diagnose APVS, including two-dimentional images, color Doppler lfow imaging (CDFI) and pulsed Doppler lfow spectrum.ResultsTypical signs of fetal APVS in 3 of 5 cases were found: no pulmonary valve was found in the main pulmonary artery, and pulmonary annulus was relatively smaller compared with a tumor-like expansion in pulmonary trunk; “to and fro” sign in the pulmonary trunk were observed steadily by CDFI and “to and fro” spectrum were detected by pulsed Doppler. Another 2 of 5 cases of fetal APVS have no pulmonary expansion, but “to and fro” sign could be detected by color and spectral Doppler, including 1 case with tricuspid atresia and 1 case with Ebstein’s anomaly.ConclusionsPrenatal ultrasonography has important diagnostic value for Fetal APVS. Fetal APVS on prenatal ultrasound has many characteristics and is easy to diagnose. Color and spectral doppler can detect and diagnose fetal APVS effectively.

Clinical evaluation of tubal patency by transvaginal four-dimensional hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography / 中华医学超声杂志（电子版）

Objective To explore the clinical value of transvaginal four-dimensional hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography (TVS 4D-HyCoSy)in evaluation of the patency of fallopian tubes. Methods Totally 53 patients underwent SonoVue TVS4D-HyCoSy to observe the tubal patency. Results Among the 106 tubes in 53 patients, TVS 4D-HyCoSy showed 47 unobstructed tubes, 23 obstructed tubes, and 36 partially passable tubes. In unobstructed cases, the fallopian tubes were smooth and regular in morphology, and contrast agents flowed into and dispersed over pelvic cavity rapidly and evenly. In the cases of partially passable tube, fallopian tubes were discontinuous and irregular in morphology, and contrast agents lfowed into and dispersed over pelvic cavity slowly and unevenly. In obstructed cases, there were no or little contrast agents into the fallopian tubes. Compared with the results of laparoscopy, the diagnostic accuracy of TVS 4D-HyCoSy was 94.4%(17/18). Conclusions TVS 4D-HyCoSy is a useful tool in demonstrating the morphological features of fallopian tube, diagnosing intrauterinc adhesion and lesion and assessing the tubal patency.

Three Vessels and Trachea View in Prenatal Diagnosis of Fetal Aortic Arch Abnormalities / 中国医学影像学杂志

Purpose To explore the value of three vessels and trachea view in rapid screening of aortic arch malformations. Materials and Methods 51 fetal subjects who were prenatally diagnosed with aortic arch abnormalities were enrolled, and their diagnoses were confirmed by postnatal echocardiography or autopsy results after induction. Targeted fetal cardiac examinations were conducted under obstetric ultrasound examination conditions, ultrasound images were restored and compared with sonographic features of normal aorta. Results Among the 51 fetus cases with aortic arch anomalies, right-oriented aortic arch with left subclavian artery vagus was shown in 17 cases, left-oriented aortic arch with right subclavian artery vagus in 2 cases, double aortic arch in 2 cases, aortic arch disarticulation in 6 cases, and aortic arch coarctation in 24 cases. Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound was 94.1%. Sonographic changes were displayed in three-vessel or three vessels and trachea view in all cases. Conclusion Three vessels and trachea view plays an important prompt role in ultrasound diagnosis for fetal aortic arch abnormalities. But when it is manifested as the“1oo”sign, it will be rather difficult for the differential diagnosis of aortic arch disarticulation and severe aortic arch coarctation.