OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of using free-hand three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography to evaluate fetal cardiac function. METHODS: 3D cardiac data were collected during screening examinations for 37 normal fetuses with gestational ages of between 16 and 26 weeks. Processing of the 3D volumes included separation of the end-diastolic and end-systolic slices, segmentation of right and left ventricles, measurement of end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes, and calculation of the ejection fraction (EF) for each ventricle. In 21 fetuses at 21-24 weeks, right and left ventricle volumes and EF were compared. RESULTS: Twenty-five cases were appropriate for final statistical analysis. The volume of the ventricles increased with gestational age and estimated fetal weight. There was no significant trend in the difference between the volumes and EF of the right and left ventricles in the 21-24-week subgroup. The mean right and left ventricular EF were 54 +/- 11.2% and 57.5 +/- 14.6%, respectively. The mean combined EF of ventricles during gestation was 55.1 +/- 10.7% and seemed to remain constant during the gestational ages studied. CONCLUSIONS: 3D echocardiography can provide estimates of ventricular volume and function and may in future be used for evaluation of fetuses with congenital heart disease and cardiac dysfunction. Copyright 2004 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of using free-hand three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography to evaluate fetal cardiac function. METHODS: 3D cardiac data were collected during screening examinations for 37 normal fetuses with gestational ages of between 16 and 26 weeks. Processing of the 3D volumes included separation of the end-diastolic and end-systolic slices, segmentation of right and left ventricles, measurement of end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes, and calculation of the ejection fraction (EF) for each ventricle. In 21 fetuses at 21-24 weeks, right and left ventricle volumes and EF were compared. RESULTS: Twenty-five cases were appropriate for final statistical analysis. The volume of the ventricles increased with gestational age and estimated fetal weight. There was no significant trend in the difference between the volumes and EF of the right and left ventricles in the 21-24-week subgroup. The mean right and left ventricular EF were 54 +/- 11.2% and 57.5 +/- 14.6%, respectively. The mean combined EF of ventricles during gestation was 55.1 +/- 10.7% and seemed to remain constant during the gestational ages studied. CONCLUSIONS: 3D echocardiography can provide estimates of ventricular volume and function and may in future be used for evaluation of fetuses with congenital heart disease and cardiac dysfunction. Copyright 2004 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Authors: Neil Hamill; Lami Yeo; Roberto Romero; Sonia S Hassan; Stephen A Myers; Pooja Mittal; Juan Pedro Kusanovic; Mamtha Balasubramaniam; Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa; Edi Vaisbuch; Jimmy Espinoza; Francesca Gotsch; Luis F Goncalves; Wesley Lee Journal: Am J Obstet Gynecol Date: 2011-04-30 Impact factor: 8.661
Authors: Neil Hamill; Roberto Romero; Sonia S Hassan; Wesley Lee; Stephen A Myers; Pooja Mittal; Juan Pedro Kusanovic; Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa; Edi Vaisbuch; Jimmy Espinoza; Francesca Gotsch; Angela Carletti; Luís F Gonçalves; Lami Yeo Journal: J Ultrasound Med Date: 2009-10 Impact factor: 2.153
Authors: Neil Hamill; Roberto Romero; Sonia Hassan; Wesley Lee; Stephen A Myers; Pooja Mittal; Juan Pedro Kusanovic; Mamtha Balasubramaniam; Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa; Edi Vaisbuch; Jimmy Espinoza; Francesca Gotsch; Luis F Goncalves; Shali Mazaki-Tovi; Offer Erez; Edgar Hernandez-Andrade; Lami Yeo Journal: Am J Obstet Gynecol Date: 2012-12-07 Impact factor: 8.661