Automated retrieval of standard diagnostic fetal cardiac ultrasound planes in the second trimester of pregnancy: a prospective evaluation of software

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate prospectively the performance of software that automatically retrieves, from a three-dimensional (3D) volume of the fetal chest, three diagnostic cardiac planes in the second trimester of pregnancy. METHODS: 3D static volumes of the fetal chest were acquired at the level of the four-chamber view in 72 fetuses between 18 and 23 weeks of gestation. Standardization of 3D volumes was performed in Plane A (the reference plane: four-chamber view) alone. Tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI) was added to the display of each diagnostic plane. The left ventricular outflow plane (Cardiac plane 1: five-chamber view, aorta), the right ventricular outflow plane (Cardiac plane 2: pulmonary artery) and the abdominal circumference plane (Cardiac plane 3: abdominal circumference, stomach) were retrieved by the software from the 3D volumes and the data were analyzed to determine whether Cardiac planes 1-3 were displayed correctly in each volume. RESULTS: The automated software displayed, in at least one TUI plane, target Cardiac plane 1 in 94.4% of volumes, target Cardiac plane 2 in 91.7% of volumes and target Cardiac plane 3 in 97.2% of volumes. CONCLUSION: Our results validate the concept of automated sonography and its potential clinical applicability.