Construction of a three-dimensional anatomical database of the human fetal heart.

The objective of this study was to establish an anatomical atlas and a three-dimensional model of the fetal heart. To do this, we created a 60-microm cross-sectional image database of the heart of a Chinese male fetus. A 31-week stillborn fetus with no congenital defects was used as the model. All thoracic organs were removed from the thoracic cavity after formalin fixation and then frozen at -25 degrees C for 2 h. Frozen serial sections, 60-microm thick, were prepared and macroshot with a digital camera to obtain image data. Eight hundred seventy-one cross-sectional photos of the fetal heart were made at a resolution of 3888 x 2592 pixels. The atrioventricular cavity, as well as other fine structures, was revealed in the images, showing a clear boundary between the peripheral tissues. This rich database showing the three-dimensional features and anatomy of the fetal heart will be useful for teaching, scientific research, and clinical applications.