ABSTRACT
Objective To preliminary investigate fetal left heart function of fetuses in α-thalassemia using spatio-temporal image correlation (STIC).Methods 95 volumes from fetal hearts in singleton pregnancies at 20-28 weeks of gestation were collected.STIC datasets were frozen in end-systole and enddiastole.Ventricular volumes were measured using VOCAL,Inversion and SonoAVC.The stroke volume was calculated from these measurements.Results All data sets could be measured with all three techniques in this study.The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between techniques were all ＞ 0.90.The time necessary to measure the stroke volume was significantly shorter using SonoAVC than using VOCAL and Inversion.Bland-Altman plots showed no clinically significant mean percent differences between stroke volume measurements obtained from each ventricle using three techniques.The left ventricular end-systole volume(ESV),stroke volume(SV)and ejection fraction(EF)was significantly different than fetuses with normal heart (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions This study shows the feasibility of measuring left ventricular volumes during either systole or diastole and thereby calculating stroke volumes with all three techniques.And there was a high degree of reliability for all three techniques,as shown by excellent ICCs.There was good accuracy of STIC techniques in measuring fetal left ventricular volumes with cardiomegaly.
ABSTRACT
Objective To assess the value of tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI) for prenatal analysis of the relative orientation of fetal heart and great arteries. Methods Volume datasets acquired from 12 patients of transposition of the great arteries (TGA) and 13 normal fetal heart were evaluated offline with TUI. The aortic valves (AV) and pulmonary valves (PV) were respectively showed on the two parallel slices. According to the pivot point in the middle of the PV in one slice, the relative orientation of the AV on another slices were analyzed. Results In the 12 patients of TGA confirmed postnatally, 7 were concomitant with single ventricle anomaly, AV was on the anterior-right orientation of the PV in 5, and was relatively on the anterior and anterior-left orientation in other 2 of them.In the remained 5 with seeming normal 4 chamber view, AV was found on the anterior-right of the PV in 3, and was relatively on the anterior and upright orientation.in other 2 patients. In 13 normal fetuses, TUI showed that all AV located on the posterior-right orientation to the PV. Conclusion TUI can provide detailed spatial information of the great arteries both in normal and abnormal fetal heart. It may be a convenient and veracious tool for prenatal exploring the morphology of the great arteries.