Assessment of nuchal translucency thickness and the fetal anatomy in the first trimester of pregnancy by two- and three-dimensional ultrasonography: a pilot study
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Aris Antsaklis
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate the use of three-dimensional ultrasonography (3D) as an alternative for examining fetal anatomy and nuchal translucency (NT) in the 1st trimester of pregnancy.
Method: Prospective study of 199 low risk pregnant women undergoing 1st trimester ultrasound scan for fetal anomalies. The NT and fetal anatomy were evaluated by three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography after the standard two-dimensional (2D) examination. The gold standard in this study was the 2D ultrasonography.
Results: In some of the evaluated parameters the 3D method approaches the conventional 2D results. These parameters are the crown-rump length (CRL), the skull – brain anatomy (93.5%), the spine (85.4%), the upper (88.4%) and lower limbs (87.9%) and the examination of the fetal abdomen (98.5%). Some of the anatomic parameters under evaluation revealed a statistically significant difference in favor of the 2D examination. During the 3D examination the nasal bone was identified in 62.1% of the cases, the stomach in 85.9%, and the urinary bladder in 57.3% of the cases. The NT was assessed accurately in half of the cases compared to 2D examination.
Conclusion: The 3D ultrasound is insufficient for the detailed fetal anatomy examination during the 1st trimester of pregnancy. Nevertheless, the method might be improved in order to be considered as a screening method.
©2011 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
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Articles in the same Issue
- Recommendations and guidelines for perinatal practice
- Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS)*
- Expert panel recommendation
- Expert recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy and the postpartum period in the Asia-Pacific region
- Review article
- Weight gain and dietary intake during pregnancy in industrialized countries – a systematic review of observational studies
- Original articles – Obstetrics
- Clinical significance of oligohydramnios in patients with preterm labor and intact membranes*,**
- Placental volume and vascularization flow indices by 3D power Doppler US using VOCAL technique and correlation with IGF-1, free beta-hCG, PAPP-A, and uterine artery Doppler at 11–14 weeks of pregnancy
- The impact of umbilical and uterine artery Doppler indices on antenatal course, labor and delivery in a low-risk primigravid population
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- Birth defects among a cohort of infants born to HIV-infected women on antiretroviral medication
- Original articles – Fetus
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- Acceptability of the fetal electrocardiographic (STAN®) monitoring system by staff at a high-risk maternity unit
- Reply: A great lack of knowledge regarding umbilical cord blood banking among pregnant women in Berlin, Germany
- Congress calendar
- Congress Calendar
