Three-dimensional ultrasound of the fetus: how does it help?

Three-dimensional ultrasonography (3-D US) was introduced to the field of fetal imaging in the early 1990s. Since then several publications have described potential applications for the diagnosis of congenital malformations as well as organ volumetry. This article reviews basic principles of 3-D US as well as its clinical applicability to prenatal diagnosis of abnormalities involving the face, spine and skeletal system, as well as potential applications of 3-D US for fetal cardiovascular and neuroimaging. Limitations related to motion artifacts, acoustic shadowing and barriers to clinical implementation of 3-D US in clinical practice are addressed.