ABSTRACT Objective Malformations of cortical development (MCD) impact fetal neurodevelopment. This study evaluates the use of 3D inversion and Crystalvue and Realisticvue (3D‐ICRV) technologies in diagnosing MCD prenatally. Method A retrospective cohort study of 232 suspected MCD patients and 50 fetuses with normal brain development who underwent fetal brain ultrasound at the Women and Children's Hospital of Xiamen (2023.1–2024.12) was conducted. Ultrasound images were collected at 20–25, 26–28, and 29+ gestational weeks. Morphological analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves assessed diagnostic performance. Postnatal follow‐up focused on motor and languagel outcomes. Genetic results were also analyzed. Results Among the 232 suspected patients, 57 were ultimately diagnosed with MCD, while 175 participants experienced early developmental delay that resolved or remained only mildly delayed before delivery. 3D‐ICRV technology provided superior visualization of cortical structures. Fetuses with delayed sylvian fissure or parietooccipital sulcus development but normal insula had higher chances of subsequent normalization. Diagnostic accuracy improved with gestational age, with 3D models demonstrating accuracy of 0.8136, 0.8750, and 0.9831 at 20–25, 26–28, and 29+ weeks, respectively. The insula was the most predictive structure at 20–25 weeks (AUC 0.8035). Postnatal follow‐up indicated that most fetuses with prenatally delayed brain development showed normal development, though some had delays. Conclusion 3D‐ICRV technology enhances MCD diagnosis compared with 2D ultrasound. The insula is a key early diagnostic marker, aiding in early detection and clinical decisions.
Niu et al. (Sun,) studied this question.