Nerea Maiz1, Ignacio Alonso2, María Belar3, Jorge Burgos1, Ana Irasarri4, Francisca S Molina5, Catalina de Paco6, José I Pijoan4,7, Walter Plasencia8, Carlota Rodó9, M Angeles Rodríguez10, Mauricio Tajada11, Albert Tubau12. 1. Fetal Medicine Unit, Obstetrics and Gynecology Service, BioCruces Health Research Institute, Hospital Universitario Cruces. University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barakaldo, Spain. 2. Centro Gutenberg, Unidad Medicina Fetal, Málaga, Spain. 3. Prenatal Diagnosis Unit, Obstetrics and Gynecology Service, Hospital Universitario Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain. 4. Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Hospital Universitario Cruces, BioCruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain. 5. Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, San Cecilio University hospital, Granada, Spain. 6. Fetal Medicine Unit, La Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain. 7. CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain. 8. Hospiten Group, Canary Islands, Spain. 9. Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vall d'Hebrón University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain. 10. Fetal Medicine Unit, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine Department, Institut Universitari Quirón-Dexeus, Barcelona, Spain. 11. Fetal Medicine Unit, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, Zaragoza, Spain. 12. Fetal Medicine Unit, Hospital Son Llàtzer, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the acquisition-related factors influencing the quality of the brain volumes for further study of advanced neurosonography. METHODS: This was a prospective multicentre study. Five centres were asked to include five cases each, acquiring two volumes per case, at different gestational ages. Ten operators performed an advanced neurosonography per case. The potential influence of the following factors on the number of evaluable structures was assessed: vaginal/ abdominal acquisition, position of the head, gestational age, subjective quality of the volume and the acquiring operator itself. RESULTS: Four hundred and thirty-two evaluations were included in the study. A total of 80% of the structures were evaluated satisfactorily in the axial plane, 67.1% and 55.1% in the coronal and sagittal plane, respectively. Sagittal volumes acquired transvaginally had a better quality than those acquired transabdominally. Gestational age affected the quality of axial and sagittal volumes (p < 0.001), and the best quality was obtained between 20 and 27 weeks. In axial and sagittal volumes, the head position influenced the percentage of structures visualized (p < 0.001, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Factors affecting the quality of the volume for advanced neurosonography are gestational age, fetal head position, transvaginal acquisition in sagittal volumes, the acquiring operator and the subjective quality of the volume.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the acquisition-related factors influencing the quality of the brain volumes for further study of advanced neurosonography. METHODS: This was a prospective multicentre study. Five centres were asked to include five cases each, acquiring two volumes per case, at different gestational ages. Ten operators performed an advanced neurosonography per case. The potential influence of the following factors on the number of evaluable structures was assessed: vaginal/ abdominal acquisition, position of the head, gestational age, subjective quality of the volume and the acquiring operator itself. RESULTS: Four hundred and thirty-two evaluations were included in the study. A total of 80% of the structures were evaluated satisfactorily in the axial plane, 67.1% and 55.1% in the coronal and sagittal plane, respectively. Sagittal volumes acquired transvaginally had a better quality than those acquired transabdominally. Gestational age affected the quality of axial and sagittal volumes (p < 0.001), and the best quality was obtained between 20 and 27 weeks. In axial and sagittal volumes, the head position influenced the percentage of structures visualized (p < 0.001, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Factors affecting the quality of the volume for advanced neurosonography are gestational age, fetal head position, transvaginal acquisition in sagittal volumes, the acquiring operator and the subjective quality of the volume.