Value of spatio-temporal image correlation in prenatal diagnosis of complex heart malformations / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the value of spatio-temporal, image correlation (STIC) in prenatal diagnosis of complex heart malformations.Methods STIC was used to examine 25 fetuses with 20-30 weeks of gestation who were doubted with complex heart malformations prospectively by two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography.Dynamic three-dimensional imaging was achieved by postprocessing technique with STIC across the entire fetal heart and thorax.An offline analysis of the acquired volume was carried out to examine the fetal cardiac anatomy with multiplanar mode, surface rendering and minimum mode.The results of prenatal diagnosiswere compared with postnatal color Doppler and surgical findings.Results Successful STIC volume datasets were obtained in all 25 fetuses.The findings of all 25 fetus with complex heart malformations included double outlet of right ventricle in 1 case, truncus arteriosus in 1 case, complete transposition of the great arteries in 3 cases,corrected transposition of the great arteries in 1 case, complete endocardial cushion defect in 4 cases, hypoplastic right ventricle syndrome in 1 case, hypoplastic left heart syndrome in 2 cases, tricuspid atresia in 1 case,pulmonary atresia in 1 case, tetralogy of Fallot in 3 cases, single atrium in 1 case, single atrium and single ventrium in 4 cases,in 1 case, atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect with coronary sinus dilatation in 1 case.The major diagnoses derived from STIC in 23 of 25 cases were consistent with the results of postnatal color Doppler and surgical findings.Conclusions STIC can provide more accurate information of structures of complex fetal heart malformations and has great value in pregnant prognosis.