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© 2008 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
J Ultrasound Med 27:771-776 • 0278-4297

Technical Advance

Application of Automated Sonography on 4-Dimensional Volumes of Fetuses With Transposition of the Great Arteries

Giuseppe Rizzo, MD, Alessandra Capponi, MD, Ottavia Cavicchioni, MD, Marianne Vendola, MD, Maria E. Pietrolucci, MD and Domenico Arduini, MD

From the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università di Roma, Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy (G.R., O.C., M.V., M.E.P., D.A.); and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ospedale G. B. Grassi, Rome, Italy (A.C.).

Address correspondence to Giuseppe Rizzo, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Ospedale Fatebenefratelli S. Giovanni Calabita, Isola Tiberina 89, 00186 Rome, Italy. E-mail: giuseppe.rizzo{at}uniroma2.it

Objective. The purpose of this study was to assess, in second-trimester fetuses with transposition of the great arteries (TGA), the performance of software (sonographically based volume computer-aided analysis) that automatically retrieves diagnostic cardiac planes from a 4-dimensional volume of the fetal chest obtained with spatiotemporal image correlation. Methods. We retrospectively evaluated the 4-dimensional spatiotemporal image correlation volumes of 12 fetuses with TGA (complete TGA, 10 cases; correct TGA, 2 cases). The data were analyzed to determine whether the target diagnostic planes, that is, cardiac plane 1 (left ventricle outflow tract) and cardiac plane 2 (right ventricle outflow tract), were correctly identified in at least 1 of the 7 automatically generated tomographic sonographic image displays and whether they allowed diagnosis of TGA. Results. In 9 of 10 fetuses with complete TGA, target diagnostic cardiac plane 1 showed a branching arterial vessel (pulmonary artery) arising from the left ventricle, whereas in 7 of 10 fetuses, the aorta arising from the right ventricle was shown. In both cases with correct TGA, the pulmonary artery starting from the morphologic left ventricle was shown, whereas in 1 of 2, the connection of the aorta with the morphologic right ventricle was found. In all of the fetuses with TGA, a ventricular arterial connection anomaly was shown in either cardiac plane 1 or 2. Conclusions. This automatic approach shows good retrieval of diagnostic cardiac planes in fetuses with TGA, which may improve diagnostic efficacy for this disease.

Key Words: automated sonography • congenital heart diseases • fetal echocardiography • 4-dimensional sonography • transposition of the great arteries

Abbreviations: 4D, 4-dimensional • sonoVCAD, sonographically based volume computer-aided analysis • STIC, spatiotemporal image correlation • TGA, transposition of the great arteries

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Copyright © 2008 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.