Three dimensional ultrasonography is still relatively diagnostic imaging technique undergoing rapid advance in recent few years, particularly in the field of obstetrics and prenatal diagnosis.   

Three dimensional ultrasonography is still relatively diagnostic imaging technique undergoing rapid advance in recent few years, particularly in the field of obstetrics and prenatal diagnosis.   

Three and four dimensional ultrasonography

Three dimensional ultrasonography is still relatively diagnostic imaging technique undergoing rapid advance in recent few years, particularly in the field of obstetrics and prenatal diagnosis.                                            

Main advantages of three dimensional technology in prenatal medicine and antenatal diagnosis include scanning in coronal plane, improved assessment of complex anatomic structures, surface scan analysis of minor defect, volumetric measuring of organs, (plastic) transparent imaging of fetal skeleton, spatial presentation of blood flow arobization and finally storage of scanned volumes and images.                              

Four dimensional ultrasound is a live transmission of the three dimensional one.  

For example, fetal and maternal movements during the scanning process lead to motion artifacts that can degrade the image quality.

Fetal surface rendering primarily depends on sufficient amniotic fluid volume in front of region of interest.

In some cases, oligohydramnios and superimposed structure make surface rendering impossible.

Visualization of fetal face became one of major interest in three-dimensional ultrasonography.

Detection of all details of normal facial anatomy and malformations became more available using 3D Ultrasound.

Higher quality images were produced in scans after 19 weeks of gestation than scans obtained earlier.

In the following cases we can expect the higher quality of imaging and detection rate of fetal anomalies comparing to the 2D ultrasound.

1. Fetal cleft lip and palate; they are easily recognizable following the instruction for optimal technique of scanning.

2. Abnormal curvature of the fetus in profile reconstruction.

3. Minor defects of face related to chromosomal abnormalities.

4. Fetal face/Profile dysmorphism related to systematic or metabolic disorders (pterygium syndrome, skeletal dysplasias).

5. Facial profile investigation: micrognathia, absent nose, frontal bossing.

6. Fetal tooth germs investigations (oligodentia or anodentia)